Knight Rider Festival '09
by My-Friend-KITT
Summary: This is a "What If" story. "What If" Michael Knight and KITT Three Thousand ended up in Las Vegas during the upcoming KR Festival? Read and find out. Chapter 21...Finally! :
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This is written as a fun idea of what would happen if Michael Knight and KITT _really_ showed up at the upcoming Knight Rider Festival in Las Vegas. I do not own KR but I will be celebrating it in Vegas with everyone else. *giggle* My best regards to all the KR cast, you guys are the best!

Okay without further ado…..

Knight Rider Festival '09

It was early Friday morning on March 20th 2009. So early, that it might still be considered Thursday night.

Mike has just finished up filing all his reports on the espionage case with the local Flagstaff, AZ. authorities. He yawned deeply.

"KITT, you drive. Take us home." He said as he curled up in KITT's driver's seat.

"Michael, you look exhausted." KITT added with concern as he easily navigated the barren city streets.

"You know, we have been on four cases in six weeks. I do need a vacation." Mike said softly while in thought.

"Las Vegas is on the way home. You can vacation there." KITT offered.

"I would like to go back to Vegas and not be on a mission while I'm there." Mike agreed. "KITT, patch me through to Sarah."

"Mike, do you know what time it is?" Sarah complained.

"It is 2:30am." KITT interrupted.

"We just closed the Daniels case, Sarah." Mike spoke as he straightened up in KITT's seat. "He is now in custody and will be there for a while."

"Good, now come on back. I have a new case for you." Sarah said in a straightforward tone.

"KITT and I were wondering if we could have a couple days off." Mike asked with puppy dog eyes.

"But we are so busy now and it's Billy's turn for a day off." Sarah complained.

"Come on?" Mike begged. "I'm not far from Las Vegas. Please?? What would Billy do with the time off anyway?" Mike begged Sarah pitifully. However, he was glad that Billy was asleep somewhere.

Sarah was always a sucker for Mike's puppy dog eyes. "Okay, but just two days." Sarah relented. "You come back on Sunday, okay?"

"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!" Mike said jubilantly.

"Have fun and don't get in trouble." Sarah said with a smile.

Before Mike could answer her, KITT interrupted, "I will be sure of that."

Sarah let out a chuckle and their chat line closed.

"KITT just drive." Mike said through a low growl as he repositioned himself into a relaxed curl.

KITT drove silently through the early morning hours. He even did his best to avoid the potholes in the road so as not to wake Mike.

As KITT pulled into Las Vegas at sunrise on Friday morning, he saw a sight that he knew could not be true. So KITT double checked his scanners for a malfunction.

He saw before him an untold number of his predecessor, Knight Two Thousand, randomly parked all over Las Vegas.

Shocked by what could only be a systems malfunction, KITT decided to wake Mike, who had been sleeping soundly now for hours. "Michael? Michael, are you awake?"

"No KITT" Mike grumbled.

"Michael, I seem to be having a sensor malfunction." KITT stated worriedly.

Mike opened one eye slightly and glared at the globe-like voice modulator. "You look fine, KITT." Then Mike heavily rolled over to face away from the lighted voice modulator and toward the dark tinted window.

"Michael, this is serious. My sensors must be malfunctioning," KITT stated with a little more fervor. Then to help arouse the obviously comatose Michael, KITT turned on every light in his cabin to full illumination.

Mike let out a high pitched whine and lifts his hand to cover his eyes. "KITT, turn those off!" He finally screamed.

"Michael, I see numerous versions of my predecessor scattered about the city. I even see a few copies of me." KITT said worriedly as he pulled over onto the dusty desert shoulder and returned the lighting in the cabin to normal.

"KITT, that is impossible." Mike scoffed as he sat up straight in KITT's warm comfy driver's seat.

"See for yourself." KITT then brought up on his HUD pictures of the Knight Two Thousand replicas centered on or near Fremont Street on one screen. Then in a separate window, he brought up pictures of the replicas of him.

Mikes face showed slight worry as he saw the vast number of look-alikes. "KITT, what's going on?"

"Michael, I am monitoring a televised transmission." KITT announced as he replaced the replica pictures on his HUD with the televised feed.

A young Hispanic male newscaster was speaking to a girl that looked identical to Sarah. "_So what is it like to work with a talking Supercar_?"

Mike's eyes fill with surprise, "KITT, that's Sarah!" he yelled.

"Physically, she is identical to Sarah even her voice is a perfect match." KITT said in an astonished tone.

"_It took a while to get used to talking to a car and having someone reading Val's lines off camera_." The Sarah clone answers with a smile. "_Now, I find myself talking to my own car sometimes_."

"However, her voice inflections and dialog do not match with Sarah Graiman." KITT accessed.

"KITT, locate the source of the transmission and take us there." Mike said with determination as he righted himself firmly in front of KITT's steering wheel.

"_So, what's it like to work with former Soap star and heartthrob Justin Bruening_?" The interviewer asked as he raised one eyebrow and smiled.

As Mike continued watching the interview, KITT deftly navigated through the 7 am rush hour traffic in Las Vegas. By the views from the satellites above him, KITT could see to avoid the Las Vegas Strip. However, he did want a better view of all of the clones of Knight Two Thousand and himself.

A few minutes later, KITT pulled easily into the new station's crowded parking lot and was quickly surrounded.

A crowd of bystanders rushed the black GT500KR Mustang. The crowd consisted of both males and females ranging in age from tiny babies being carried by their parents to one older male in his 80's.

A group of about seven females in their 20's, ran up to KITT's driver's side door screaming "Justin" at the top of their lungs. They all had on pink t-shirts that had Mike's picture encased inside a red heart with the words "Justin's Girls" surrounding the heart shaped picture of Mike.

Beyond the screaming crowd, a raised stage with a long folding conference table had numerous microphones scattered over it randomly. Above and below the stage were banners announcing the Knight Rider Festival with KITT (Two Thousand) and KITT (Three Thousand) pictures prominently displayed.

The male announcer sitting next to the Sarah clone stood up and yelled over the screaming crowd, "He's Here, Justin has just arrived and he is in KITT!"

"KITT, stay here," Mike said firmly as he opened KITT's door to the frantic crowd.


	2. Celebrity Appearances

Celebrity TV Appearances

"Like I would leave you alone with _these_ people," KITT scoffed.

Mike winked at KITT and stood up against the onslaught. He waved shyly as the announcer on the stage began introducing a man named Justin.

"Justin's finally made it everybody!" The announcer screamed loudly into his microphone.

A security guard obviously paid to do crowd control, violently shoved his way through the crowd toward Mike. Once he had gotten to Mike's side, he whispered, "Stay with me." Then the burly 6 ½ foot tall man turned toward the excited crowd and yelled "Step Aside"

Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the formidable guard waved his hands in the air and the crowd separated forming a pathway in front of the guard and Mike. The opening was barely wide enough to allow one person to pass through but, the guard proceeded through the small pathway while shoving aside a rowdy fan that had blocked the walkway.

Mike followed the rushing guard through the pushing mob. He did his best to try to avoid the "Justin's Girls" crowd but failed miserably. A cute hyper blonde managed to grab his cotton shirt as he passed her. It tore right down the inseam.

"Hey!" Mike yelled in surprise as he felt the grab and then the tear.

Somehow over the throng of screaming fans, the burly security guard heard Mike yell out. He whirled around on one boot to face Mike. Before Mike knew what the guard was planning, the guard roughly grabbed Mike by his left Bi-cep and rushed him up to the stairs of a stage at the opposite end of the crowd.

Mike tried to yank himself free from the guard's Herculean hold but with the crowd pushing against him, he had no room. Then he was forcibly shoved up the grey metal stairs leading onstage.

"Justin, we are so happy to see you, huh crowd?" The male announcer yelled to rile up the audience.

The crowd responded in a loud uproar that lasted at least two minutes.

A tall brunette stagehand approached Mike and whispered in his left ear, "Thank You Justin for coming. We really appreciate it. Now, please take that seat next to Deanna." Then she pointed to an empty folding chair next to the Sarah clone.

Mike didn't want to be onstage. He wasn't this _Justin_ guy. He just wanted answers. Also, Mike was beginning to get a little stage fright and sitting next to a clone of Sarah wasn't helping him any. So, he hesitated for a second.

"It looks like Justin needs a little help to find his seat." The announcer teased, "How about another applause to encourage him, you guys?"

Mike glared viciously at the pushy announcer but it was only for a second. Without any warning, the brunette stagehand physically placed her hand on his back and pushed/guided him to the open seat next to the Sarah clone.

Mike nervously looked over the excited crowd with apprehension but he pulled out the metal folding chair and sat down anyway.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Justin" the rude announcer taunted.

Mike craned his neck hard to look passed the perfectly silent Sarah clone in the direction of the belligerent announcer. He had a sarcastic remark for the rude announcer but he stifled it instead. He didn't think it would be appropriate for the Sarah look-alike or the crowd chanting his name in glee.

"I would have been here sooner but a group of beautiful girls had to tear my shirt." Mike said jokingly with a wide grin at the "Justin's Girls". Then he stood up and opened his shirt at the tear.

All of the girls in the pink "Justin's Girls" t-shirts began screaming. The blonde that had torn his shirt began screaming her name, "Britney, Justin, my name is Britney!"

Then the whole group began screaming their names, also.

"Ladies? Ladies! Please save that for later. We will have audience participation later." The male announcer yelled as he waved his hands in the air to get their attention.

Mike sat down silently and lowered his head, "KITT, I need your help. Get me outta here."

"Mike you have a group of screaming girls wanting you. What do you want _me_ to do?" KITT asked sarcastically.

"I don't know. Be creative." Mike said gruffly into his hand.

"So Justin, what is it like to work with this beautiful young lady?" The announcer asked as he placed his hand on Deanna Russo's shoulder.

As Mike pondered an answer, KITT sent an ultrasonic sound wave through the air. Suddenly, all the speakers in the area began to pop and throw off sparks. Within thirty seconds, all of the speakers had blown and the microphones were buzzing loudly.

The technical staff began running about the area trying to find the cause of all of the speakers blowing. They were so fast and uniform that they looked like ants.

In the chaos, the awaiting crowd began to get frustrated and began yelling. "I Cant Hear You!" "What's happening?" and "Fix IT!"

About two minutes later, a middle aged male stagehand stood in the middle of the stage with a Sherriff's issue white bullhorn. "May I have your attention, please? Hello everyone!"

The crowd began to settle down to hear what the man had to say.

"Sorry folks, but we are having technical difficulties. Due to the seriousness of the problem, we have to cancel the interviews. I'm sorry." The dark haired stagehand apologized sadly into the bullhorn.

The crowd nearly rioted. They booed and howled at the ashamed stagehand. Then they began to leave while mumbling angrily.

Mike took the chance and stood up to leave the chaotic stage. He was stopped by a middle aged woman in a tight beige working suit holding a full clipboard of papers. "Justin, where are you going? We still have a photo shoot to complete." Then she pointed to a small backdrop set just off the stage and to the right.

Deanna leaned in close to Mike as she walked passed him and said softly in his ear, "I have to do them too. Don't worry." Then she grinned slyly and headed daintily down the stairs.

Mike shivered a bit. That girl looked like Sarah, sounded like Sarah, and even smelled like Sarah. It wasn't a bad thing. She was obviously beautiful and smart but she wasn't Sarah.

As soon as Mike set foot in the staged photo shoot location, the promoter began to give instructions on the positions she wanted for her publicity shots. During the promoter's spiel, Mike whispered to KITT, "KITT, get copies of these pictures. Sarah isn't going to believe this."

"Do you want video as well as stills." KITT asked dryly.

"KITT, are you being sarcastic? You know I only want stills." Mike spoke a little too loudly and earned a puzzled look from Deanna.

"Standard size photos or banner size?" KITT responded jokingly.

Mike rolled his eyes but decided that KITT's comment didn't warrant a response at this time. Especially since the Sarah clone was already suspicious of his weird actions.

The promoter had Deanna pose alone for a few shots. She handled them like a professional. She practically needed no instructions.

Then, the beige suited promoter had Mike pose alone for a few shots. It was odd for Mike to pose for glamour shots but he couldn't get away from that sheepdog herder like woman that was the promoter.

The promoter then asked for Mike to take pictures while hugging the Sarah clone. He blushed a little at the suggestion but decided to go ahead with it.

Mike had a hard time with it. The camera man kept having to correct Mike's positions and had the make-up guy re-apply the fader coat on Mike's blush. However, Mike did it.

As soon as the photo session stopped, Mike began to make his way toward KITT. He didn't get far.

"Justin, where are you going?" That beige suited promoter lady asked as she stepped in his way.

"We're done right?" Mike half-asked and half-stated while he tried to weave passed her ample body.

"No, we still have the kissing shots and the pictures with KITT to do." She said excitedly as she turned Mike back around to face the photo backdrop.

"Kissing?" Mike asked exasperatedly and turned red again.

"Yes" the female promoter affirmed with a quizzical look. "Make-up has added too much rouge to your cheeks. Go back and have that fixed." She added hurriedly as she pushed passed him making a bee-line to the photographer.

"Michael, are you going to kiss that girl?" KITT asked in a highly perplexed tone.

Mike never had a chance to answer KITT for at that moment, the female promoter rapidly walked over to Mike and she did not look happy. "We don't have all day sir." She said sternly. "We have photos to shoot. Now get over there and kiss."

Mike gave the pushy promoter an odd look and then shuffled over to his mark on the stage. Once again, he turned red as he eyed the Deanna look-alike. She looked so much like Sarah but she just wasn't Sarah.

Deanna did as the promoter had asked and wrapped her arms around Mike's neck. She was just leaning in to give the photographer the shot he wanted, when Mike pulled away.

"No" he said defiantly.

"No?" the female promoter exclaimed as she rushed up to him in a face off.

Mike suddenly came up with an excuse, "My agent hasn't approved any off camera promo kissing shots." He lied easily.

The promoter eyed him deeply with rage filled green eyes. Then she turned easily on her high heels and yelled at her crew, "Time for the shots with the car!"

"Why didn't you kiss her?" KITT asked in Mike's ear.

"She's not Sarah, KITT. It just didn't feel right." Mike whispered. "By the way, are you ready for your turn?"

"My turn?" KITT asked in surprise. "I'm not kissing anybody." He stated firmly.

Mike let out a chuckle. He couldn't contain it even when he received odd looks from all the people around him.

Mike carefully made his way over to KITT and stopped dead in his tracks when he caught his first look at KITT. "KITT, what happened to you?"

KITT was a mess. He had various pieces of trash all over him. Not only that, it looked like every inch of him was fingerprinted by someone. Also, someone had carelessly spilled a soda on his trunk. And to top it all off, chips and popcorn cornels were scattered on his hood. It looked horrid.

"What do you mean 'what happened'?" KITT asked sarcastically.

"KITT, you look terrible." Mike stated in shock. "What happened?"

"People happened." KITT said dryly.

"Why did you let them do this to you?" Mike was stunned.

"What exactly would you have me do?" KITT asked puzzled.

"Not allow this." Mike stated angrily as he began to pick the trash off of KITT. "I mean, jeez KITT, they just used you like a personal trash can."

Suddenly, two males in plastic overalls appeared out of nowhere. They began efficiently removing all the trash off of KITT. Then one of them grabbed a 5 gallon can of blue liquid and ordered Mike to step away from the car. As soon as Mike was clear of their work area, they sprayed every inch of KITT with their blue liquid.

Mike stood back and watched with a smile as KITT had a welcome hand wash done by strangers. "KITT how does that feel?" Mike asked with a wide grin.

The workers then grabbed rags and began meticulously scrubbing down the black GT500KR. They were methodical and purposeful. They were not missing a single smudge or fingerprint.

"Wonderful Michael, "KITT answered in pure delight. "Better than Zoe hosing me down."

Mike laughed out loud again but then he caught himself and internalized the chuckle.

An assistant to the promoter approached Mike with a box of doughnuts and a coffee. She delicately tapped his back with the Styrofoam cup. "Justin, would you care for a coffee and a doughnut while we wait for the car to be cleaned?"

Mike smiled sweetly at the girl. She must have been no taller than 4 feet and weighed no more than 80 pounds. However, her voice was rather deep. Mike took an Apple Fritter from the pink cardboard box and slid the white cup from her dainty hand.

"Thank You, I haven't eaten since yesterday." He said as he took a huge bite out of the Fritter and quickly chased it down with a slug of the hot Joe.

"No problem," the girl said dismissively as she disappeared into the stage crew crowd.

While still chewing down on the doughnut, Mike turned back to check on KITT. The normally talkative vehicle had been silent about a new experience. Mike just realized that KITT had never been given a bath by perfect strangers before now. Yet, KITT was silent about it.

KITT was happy. He hadn't had this thorough a rubdown since before the SSC had been shut down. Yes, he had gotten dirty in the past. Yes, the cleaned him _occasionally_ but never to this extent. He loved it.

Mike squinted at the glare of the sunlight that bounced off KITT's paint job. The car washers had done such an awesome job that it looked like KITT glowed. However, Mike only had a few seconds to enjoy it. The pushy promoter lady in the beige suit began herding the Sarah clone and Mike over to KITT for a few more photos.

They took pictures in front of KITT. KITT liked that.

They took pictures behind KITT. KITT didn't much care for that perspective.

They took pictures on each side of KITT. KITT didn't mind those at all.

They even took pictures above KITT. KITT Loved those.

When the camera crew began to talk of taking pictures inside his interior, KITT put his so-called foot down. He locked his doors, tinted his windows, and shut off his scanner. He was closed.

"KITT?" Mike asked questioningly. "What's wrong?"

KITT sat in silence. He wanted nothing to do with them. No one was taking pictures inside his interior and that was final.

"Okay KITT, I get it." Mike whispered smoothly. "No inside pics. How about we call this photo shoot done, huh?"

KITT turned on his scanner in affirmation and then said gratefully, "Thank You Michael, I would really appreciate that."

"You got it, KITT. Give me a few minutes to finish up here and then we're gone." Mike said confidently as he patted KITT's hood.

"That's it! I'm done. Thank You all for everything. It's been a blast and all. See ya around." Mike yelled at the whole stage crew as he waved goodbye at them. "Oh by the way, where can I register KITT in the Festival?"

I voice buried in the background yelled, "Go to the Golden Nugget. Registration is there."

"Thanks Man." Mike waved again. "Take care all." Then he slid into KITT and they sped off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N- Thank You BuckleWinner, Spidey2, and Rainack for your awesome reviews. I really loved those.

Yeah, I plan on continuing this. I have a **whole** festival to have Mike and KITT enjoy.

Thank You, again and enjoy!


	3. Only on Fremont Street

A/N- This chapter has KARR in it. The KARR from Knight of the Living Dead- KR '08. It may be considered a spoiler but not much.

Only on Fremont Street

"Who is this Justin everyone keeps mistaking you for?" KITT asked Mike while speeding down the Las Vegas surface roads.

"I don't know, KITT." Mike answered distantly while in thought. "Who was that Deanna Russo girl? She looked amazingly like Sarah?"

"I find no records on her anywhere in the FBI databases or on the Internet." KITT answered in a questioning tone.

"Well KITT, there is one way to find out. Register you in the Festival." Mike said with a smirk.

"Me? Registered as a _replica_. No!" KITT was taken aback by the suggestion.

"Come on KITT, you'll be in good company." Mike said to butter KITT up.

"Company? Those _drones_ are devoid of any intelligence. What kind of company would _they_ be?" KITT wasn't going to fall for this easily.

"The best company, KITT. They will all be copies of you and KITT, Two Thousand." Mike said with a chuckle. "Besides, I want you there with me."

"Okay" KITT relented to Mike's begging. "Anyway, I want to see what a clone of me looks like."

"Thanks KITT, it wouldn't have been that much fun without you." Mike said as he patted the dash above KITT's voice orb.

A few minutes later, KITT pulled up to the makeshift guard station at the end of Fremont Street. He lowered his tinted window as an elderly guard in a blue uniform approached his driver's side door.

"I'm sorry sir, but this street is closed to vehicular traffic." The grey haired guard said as he stepped up to Mike.

"I can see other cars parked here." Mike said as he pointed to a KITT, Two Thousand replica parked only feet away. "Why can't I park here?" He asked in frustration.

"You can only park on Fremont Street with a permit. Do you have a permit?" the guard asked nonchalantly.

"Don't you recognize me?" Mike asked innocently. "I'm Justin and this is KITT, right KITT?"

KITT wouldn't justify Mike's lie by responding. So, he stayed tight lipped or in KITT's terminology, he stayed in Silent Mode.

The older guard looked at Mike with new eyes, eyes of recognition. Yet, he still pulled out a large brown clip board with a thick pile of papers attached to it loosely. The list consisted of names accompanied by photocopies of their driver's licenses. The guard easily located Justin Bruening's photocopied driver's license. "What is your birthday, sir?" He asked Mike questioningly as he studied the photocopy diligently.

Mike began to sweat. What was it, like 80 degrees outside, or what? He knew it had nothing to do with the temperature because KITT would have turned on the A/C had it been _that_ hot. Mike hadn't counted on the guard being that efficient. He really had no idea what answer to give. So, he quickly decided to just use his own birthday. "My birthday is September 24th."

"That is correct, Mr. Bruening." The guard said in an affirming tone and lifted the white bar gate up. "So sorry to hold you up. We get all kinds here. Park right over there, please. And sir, please register your car as soon as possible. That way you will not have to go through this again."

"Gotchya" Mike agreed as KITT slowly pulled onto the pedestrian walkway.

Above Mike and KITT was a sight that any person would stand in awe and admire for minutes. There had to be over a million lights working together to show a video. However, right now it was nearing mid-day and it was hard to see if it was on and working or not.

Parked on each side of the sidewalk-roadway before them were copies of the KITT, Two Thousand. KITT drove as slow as he could. He was recording every centimeter of the line up of the cars on Fremont Street. Also, he was trying to avoid hitting pedestrians that were standing in his way snapping pictures or just milling around the replicas. It also didn't help when people suddenly jumped in front of him only inches away from him taking their knees out, just so that they could get a quick picture. It took what seemed like a half an hour for KITT to go 20 feet.

"Michael," KITT finally spoke up as he approached the location that the elderly guard had pointed to. "They are all fakes. Why?"

Mike was just as confused about the whole scenario as KITT was. KITT, Two Thousand, was supposed to be Top Secret. KITT, Three Thousand, was still brand new. How could all of these replicas exist? Why do all these replicas exist?

"KITT, I am about as well informed as you are." Mike said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Right now, we play it by ear. I got your back you got mine."

KITT stopped cold in place when he arrived at his assigned parking spot. He scanned the area twice and still didn't move.

"KITT, why aren't you parking?" Mike asked in frustration as he checked the shifter.

"I do not want to park here." KITT said coldly.

"What?" Mike asked a bit confused as he searched the milling crowd for a reason.

"I…Do…Not…Want…To…Park…Here." KITT said slowly like he was talking to someone hard of hearing.

"KITT, don't get smart with me." Mike warned in a friendly tone.

"I'm smart whether I am with you or not with you." KITT retorted.

Mike chuckled out loud. It was funny even if it was at his expense.

However, Mike knew that something was bothering KITT. "KITT, why won't you park here?" He asked in a slightly worried tone.

"_Him_" KITT said coldly as he brought up a visual of the Knight Auto-Cybernetic Roving Robot Exoskeleton otherwise known as KARR. The yellow scanner on the Mustang KARR was swishing together smoothly.

Then to Mike's horror KARR spoke in a deathly deep voice, "KITT Must Die". Mike's memories flashed back to the middle of one of the worst nights of his life. He felt a shiver of fear run down his back causing some hairs on his neck to quiver. He shook the fear off as best as he could and asked, "Does your scanner see KARR's AI?"

KITT scanned KARR with much trepidation. The last time he ran up against KARR, the rogue AI had tried to steal his CPU core and assimilate Michael. KARR tried to destroy him in the process. KITT would prefer to avoid KARR if it were possible.

If KITT could have sighed in relief, he would have and loudly. The KARR scans had come back negative for the presence of the nefarious AI. "Michael, we are looking at a replica." KITT said with pleasure.

Right at that moment, the Mustang KARR repeated, "KITT Must Die."

"I still do not want to park here." KITT said with confidence.

"I don't blame you, KITT. I don't even like sitting here right now." Mike said reassuringly as he glared at the very good copy of KARR. "How about that spot over there in front of the Golden Nugget Casino?"

KITT scanned the empty parking spot where Michael had pointed. It was directly in front of the casino's glass front doors where crowds were filing out in large numbers. KITT was reminded of his experiences at the television studio. "Michael, are you sure you want to park there?" KITT asked with a little worry in his tone.

"Looks good to me, KITT. Why? What's wrong with that spot? I don't see KARR anywhere near there." Mike answered unsurely. He had no idea why KITT was being so picky.

"I do not wish to be the center of everyone's attention, Michael. That spot is the first location everyone will arrive at when they first step out here to mingle amongst the cars." KITT tried to reason with Michael.

"KITT, this will be different. The TV studio was an angry crowd that took out their anger on you. Here KITT, is a crowd that is here out of respect. Respect or glorification of you and I. Why? I don't know. How do they know about us and KITT, Two Thousand? I don't know. But what I do know, KITT, is that they will be respectful of you." Mike spoke with confidence as he tried to help KITT understand. "Now take that spot and enjoy your moment in the limelight. We are on vacation, remember?"

KITT didn't like Michael's logic but he was right. So he gently backed into the available parking space while being extra careful to not hit or run over the oblivious walkers and their children.

As soon as KITT shut down the engine, a crowd formed around the black GT500KR. They were making sounds of joyful awe as they began taking video and snapping pictures. Whenever a careless child tried to touch or lean into KITT, the parent would scold the child saying, "Don't Touch!"

"KITT, I'll be back." Mike said smoothly as he opened his driver's side door. "I've got to register us."

KITT grew worried. "Why leave me? Call it in." He said quickly. He wasn't used to this much attention.

While standing in KITT's doorway, Mike leaned in and let his forehead rest against the top of his door seal as he spoke to KITT's voice modulator. "KITT relax. Have Fun. It's a festival after all." Then, he gently closed the door and turned toward his audience.

"Take pictures, snap videos, and enjoy the view but _Please_ do not touch him. He just had a bath and wants to stay clean. Thank You." Mike happily addressed the crowd. Then before anyone could initiate a question-answer session with him, Mike pushed his way passed the throng and disappeared into the loud and busy casino.

KITT didn't like this. He was used to being Top Secret and ignored. Not ooo'd and awww'd over like a priceless artwork. However, he wasn't expecting what happened next.

A group of ladies in their mid-thirties excitedly exited the Golden Nugget Casino. They had Margaritas in their hands and gift shop labelled plastic bags hooked on their bare arms. They were talking fast and excitedly when one yelled out, "Oh My Gosh, you guys, It's KITT!" at the top of her lungs.

The rest of the ladies just laughed and nodded but one had to respond, "No Way! A KITT, at a Knight Rider Festival? What are the odds of that?!"

Then they all screamed out in joyous laughter. Even KITT couldn't help but smile internally on that one.

However, the rather skinny lady wouldn't give it up. "Guys, take my picture." She said in full excitement and set down her drink and gift bags next to KITT's shiny tire. She then got down on her hands and knees in front of KITT. She looked up expectantly at her group and called out, "Are you ready, guys?"

All of the ladies began diving into their purses. Two of them pulled out regular digital cameras while the rest used their cellular telephones.

As soon as the lady that had kneeled down in front of KITT decided that her friends were ready, she yelled, "Now!" and pressed her lips against KITT's scanner.

All of the crowd, including people no one knew, began to howl in laughter and snap pictures. Suddenly, a nearby television crew ran up and recorded KITT's embarrassing moment.

If only Mike knew what was going on outside the casino…..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N-Thank You Spidey2 and BuckleWinner again for the reviews! I am having sooo much fun writing this out. I am glad that you are enjoying it to.


	4. KITT's Registration

KITT's Registration

Mike stepped coolly into the Golden Nugget Casino. It wasn't the first time he had been inside a busy casino and it definitely wouldn't be the last time. The glaringly bright lights, shiny new machines, and deafeningly loud noises called to him. He had forgotten how much at home he had felt inside a casino.

Since the incident with KARR and the unfortunate accident with Alex Torres, the SSC had been shut down and was a quiet lonely place. Mike actually enjoyed being sent out on long assignments so as not to be cooped up in the dark, sometimes freaky, underground lair.

Mike easily made his way around the bustling casino. As he passed a full row of bright red video poker machines, two young and beautiful teenage girls appeared on each side of Mike. At first, he thought that he may be standing in front of a tall mirror. Then Mike realized that they were identical twins.

Mike turned around in shock to face the girls and asked, "Where did you come from?"

In perfect unison, the twins asked him, "Are you Michael Knight?" Their blue eyes were locked onto him with awe.

"Yes, but you can call me Mike," he answered with a bit of pride. They hadn't called him that Justin guy.

"Oh My Gosh! It's Michael Knight, Kerry!" The young twin to Mike's right yelled to her sister.

Both girls grabbed hands and began jumping up and down. The other twin squealed in glee and then yelled, "Oh My Gosh! Terry, It's him!"

The two girls began excitedly talking to each other so fast that Mike couldn't understand a word of what they were saying. So he took that second to slip passed them and hide behind a row of tall bulky slot machines.

"Where did he go?" Mike heard one of the girls say as she walked right passed his hiding spot.

"Michael!?" the other girl yelled after they had gone by him.

Mike could hear the high pitched voices of the girls arguing as they disappeared among the many rows of bright slot machines. He let out a sigh of relief as he came out of hiding. However, he definitely picked up speed as he made his was to the Festival registration desk.

Mike expected a long and impatient line to be waiting to register their replicas. He was surprised to see that he could just walk right up to the paper covered thin conference table. Mike smiled wide as his eyes met one of the waiting secretaries manning the desk. She was a dark skinned lady with the most gorgeous dyed blonde hair he had ever seen. And when she smiled back, her teeth glistened just as bright as one of the nearby slot machines.

"Hi, I'm here to register KITT." Mike said sweetly as he walked up to the table.

"Which KITT?" She spoke as she dug through some nearby papers.

"My KITT." Mike said in a bit of confusion.

The girl chuckled quietly. "I figured that." She said with her unusually bright smile. She then laid her hands on two separate stacks of papers and looked him dead in the eye with anticipation. "Which type of KITT, Knight Industries Two Thousand or Three Thousand?"

Mike began to beam with pride and said, "My KITT is Knight Industries Three Thousand."

The girl began to carefully pull the stack of papers to her left closer to her. Once the stack was firmly in front of her, she began to sort it into smaller stacks. As she was lining up the smaller stacks, the secretary looked up questioningly and asked, "Which Mode does your KITT have as his form: Normal Mode, Attack Mode, 4x4 F-150 Truck Mode, Ford Flex Mode, or one of the many modes from the pilot movie?"

Daunted by the huge list of modes, Mike was caught off guard. "I don't know." He spoke softly in confusion. And what in the world is the "Pilot Movie"?

The registration secretary returned Mike's confused look with an even more confused look. "What do you mean, 'I don't know?'. He's your KITT right?"

Without thinking, Mike blurted out, "I'll have to ask _him_."

The dark skinned registration lady busted up laughing. Only after regaining a modicum of composure, did she dare to ask, "Are you serious?"

Mike gave an embarrassed smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, KITT runs the show. I'm just the cute driver."

The registration lady gave Mike a quizzical gaze that said, "I don't believe you." However, she didn't let it stop her progress. "Which mode does _your_ KITT prefer?"

"Just set me up with Normal Mode. I'll tell him not to transform while we're here." Mike said with a wink and a sly smile.

The blonde registration lady daintily lifted a packet of paper from a stack and gently ticked them against the thin conference table. Without glancing up, she asked, "Let me see you driver's license?" Then she extended a perfectly manicured hand in his direction.

Mike dug deeply into his blue jean's back pocket. He usually didn't carry his wallet but everything about today was unusual. Finally, after a grimace of frustration, he produced his black leather wallet and then his Ca Driver's License.

The registration lady let out an unrestrained laugh as she read the license. "Are you kidding?" She asked in exasperation as she turned the license to face Mike.

"Kidding?" Mike didn't understand what she meant.

"Really? You are Michael Knight? The _REAL_ Michael Knight?" She asked in an unbelieving sarcastic tone.

Mike smiled with fake embarrassment and then slid his plastic license easily out of her lifted hand. He carefully placed it back in his leather wallet and said with a smile, "Gotchya!" He then dug out his old Nevada license that still read Michael Traceur and handed it off to her. He wondered quietly if she would say something about this license. He had no more to provide for now but maybe KITT could print an alias for him; maybe a license with that guy Justin's name on it.

The registration lady gladly took the Nevada license without a word of argument. She began rapidly filling out the long registration form.

Suddenly, the young twins, Kerry and Terry, appeared next to Mike again. He groaned slightly when he recognized them.

"Michael Knight," they both spoke in unison as they grabbed onto his arms. "We love you."

Mike smiled at the girls as he pulled away from their grasp. He began to survey the area for an escape.

The teenage girls reached out to Mike and began to move in for a hug. He stepped back quickly and smiled menacingly as he watched the two crash into each other. He then slipped around the registration table to the opposite side where the blonde registration lady worked.

The dark skinned lady eyed Mike with agitation and then spoke firmly, "Mr. Traceur, I ask you to please stay on _that_ side of the desk, thank you."

Mike sheepishly looked at the irritated registration lady and then decided that it was best to try to deal with her than go through the paces of Kerry and Terry.

Mike had been focusing on the registration lady and her anger at him. If he had looked up, he would have seen the quickly forming mob at the thin conference table. When he did look up, he gasped and pushed away from the flimsy table that was holding back the frantic crowd. He was glad that he was behind the table but it was thin and light and being pushed toward him by the excited crowd.

As if to add to his startling moment of confusion, the dark skinned registration lady leapt up protectively and yelled, "Back OFF!" She then took up a position between Mike and the mob. "Leave him Alone!" She barked as she shoved the conference table back at the crowd.

Mike didn't stand up or move. He was in shock and had even forgotten about asking for KITT's help. All he knew was that he wasn't moving away from his impromptu bodyguard and that he was eternally grateful to her for the help.

About two minutes later, five security guards converged upon the maddening scene. They immediately took up the position the registration lady had held defiantly and dissipated the mad crowd.

"Justin, we had not been expecting you until later." A tall muscular female guard spoke softly as she approached a still-shocked Mike. "I am Officer Jessica Cast. I am in charge of your protection during your stay at the Golden Nugget and Knight Rider Festival." She said formally as she shook his firm hand. She looked around questioningly and then asked, "By the way, where are your personal guards and your assistant?"

Mike regarded the tall brunette guard with eyes of respect. He could tell by her deep strong voice and lightly muscular frame that she could handle herself well if the need came. "Nice to meet you Officer Cast." Mike said with a smile as he returned her firm handshake.

The registration lady gave the security guard an odd look and then pushed passed her. "Mr. Traceur," she said evenly. "Here is your Festival packet and parking pass. The first event is the Wedding which starts in a couple of hours. Have fun at the Festival." She then handed over a handful of papers and his driver's license.

"Traceur?" Officer Cast said in astonishment. "Aren't you Justin Bruening?"

Mike gave the beautiful brunette guard an embarrassed smile and shook his head slightly. "No, I'm not," he said barely under his breath. This time he wouldn't lie.

"My apologies Mr. Traceur, I had you mistaken for someone else." Officer Cast spoke formally as she took a step back. "If you need any further assistance, please contact the security desk." She said coldly as she called her army off the crowd and moved away quickly.

Mike was shocked by her sudden change in demeanor and quick departure but he knew that this was not the last time he would run into Officer Jessica Cast.

Mike smiled as he turned to the registration lady. "Thank You for your help." He said sweetly and patted her softly on the shoulder.

"It was nothing." She spoke quietly as she retook her seat.

After a quick survey of the area, Mike began to make his way back to KITT. He hadn't heard a word from the AI and wondered what may be going on. Mike made it ten rows before he was cornered.

Two men in their late 30's saw Mike and immediately began rudely questioning him about KITT. They spoke of KITT being sub par to their Maserati. Mike didn't want to hear it or even discuss it. It was a pointless conversation.

Every time Mike took a step back away from them, they stepped forward. He tried to dodge to the right and the guy on the right put his hand up against the nearby machine summarily blocking his pathway out. Mike tried dodging to the left and met the same fate. He smiled an emotionless smile, grabbed the right guy's arm firmly, and jerked it hard around the man's back. "I don't mind a pleasant conversation." Mike growled in the whimpering guy's ear. "I do mind being cornered." Then Mike let the injured man free of the painful hold and harshly pushed passed him.

Mike was brooding as he made his way to the glass front doors of the casino. He didn't like getting hash. That wasn't his personality but they had threatened him by cornering him. He still didn't like falling back on his Army training.

"Justin!" a scream rained down toward Mike. He jumped back but didn't have time to move away.

The pink-shirted "Justin's Girls" had found Justin. At least that is what they believed as they swarmed him. Britney threw herself into him in a huge hug. She whispered her undying love into his ear as he gently pried her off of him.

Mike hadn't been paying attention. The bullies had distracted his mind and made him emotional. He hadn't noticed the group of seven girls in pink t-shirts that adorned his picture walk in the door he had been heading to walk out of. Had he been attentive, he would have seen and heard them coming and made evasive actions. Now he was stuck.

"Come on, ladies," he spoke in his sweetest tone with his biggest smile. "We are adults here."

Britney's eyes lit up. "And?" she asked in anticipation as she reached for his torn shirt. Mike pushed her further away; he wondered how he would get out of this one.

Mike watched the rest of the girls jubilantly surround him on all sides. They were all speaking at once and at him. Only the girl going by the name Britney was actually trying to grab him.

"How about I make a deal with you all?" Mike asked hoping that this would work. "I personally take a picture with each of you and then a group shot with the whole group? Would that be okay?"

The group squealed in delight. It was actually louder than Kerry and Terry. He didn't even think that that would have been possible. Then they began to argue about who would be first.

Britney freed up one of her hands from Mike's pushing grip and gently wrapped her arm around his waist. She leaned her head against his chest and said, "No picture for me. I'm just gonna stay right here, thank you."

The rest of the "Justin's Girls" group began to rip Britney off of Mike. They wanted their turn. Britney yelled and fought with the others but summarily lost her spot. A heavy set girl with shoulder length midnight black hair yanked Britney away from Mike with a nasty tug. Then she looked up at Mike's brown eyes and said, "Justin, I have waited all my life for this moment. I will die someday saying that I had the greatest pleasure in life. I met Justin Bruening." Then she hugged Mike tightly, turned to her friends, and smiled for her picture. She snuck a quick peck onto Mike's cheek and slipped away into the "Justin's Girls" crowd.

Mike barely had a second to recover from the dark haired sweetie when a tiny curly haired blonde slipped in for a hug. She had piercing deep blue eyes. She grasped up his strong hand and wrapped it around her waist and pushed up against him. She never said a word, just looked up for the picture. Then she smiled adorningly and followed the path of the previous girl.

Mike had every single one of the "Justin's Girls" take their pictures. He hadn't expected all the differences in them but they were nice even Britney settled down after a while. Mike posed happily with the whole group for the last picture. He did enjoy their company but he had a car to comfort somewhere out there. He waved at the barely satisfied girls and made his way to the door.

Somehow, Mike made it outside of the casino. He hadn't expected to. He seemed to be mobbed every time he took a step. Mike just wanted to take a break inside of KITT's quiet interior for a while. But where was KITT? He wasn't parked where Mike left him.

"KITT?" Mike called out nervously.

"I'm right here." KITT called back but made no attention getting movements.

"KITT, where is here?" Mike called out. With the loud calling, Mike began to attract another crowd of adoring fans. He pushed passed the quickly forming crowd in a brisk walk. Where was he walking? He didn't know. Just away from them.

"Wrong Way" KITT said mockingly but with no added instructions.

Mike quickly turned around and began walking back the way he had come. "A little help here?" He called out in frustration.

"Warmer" KITT teased.

Mike began carefully inspecting the replica cars in the area. He didn't see KITT's scanner on any of them. "Come on KITT, where are you?" Mike called out.

"Warmer" is all KITT would say. He was really enjoying this game.

Mike's frustration level was increasing rapidly about as rapidly as the crowd that was recognizing him. "KITT, this is not funny. Tell me where you are." He growled as he continued walking.

"Getting Hot" KITT continued to tease his driver.

Mike felt like letting loose a few choice expletives but held them down somehow. "KITT, TELL ME NOW!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. The crowd gave Mike an odd and scared look at the same time.

KITT let loose a massive belly laugh at his partner. Then in an even tone he continued, "HOT! Real HOT!"

Mike stopped cold in place and began to carefully inspect the area surrounding him. He saw three KITT, Two Thousand, replicas in this spot. He began to approach the one closer to him.

"Cold. It's getting cold in here." KITT teased.

Mike then moved toward the second KITT replica. This one was only slightly different than the other but still uncanny to the real thing.

"Am I in the Arctic? It's soooo cold." KITT continued to tease Mike.

Mike was now positive that the third and last KITT, Two Thousand, replica had to be KITT. He stormed over with eyes of fire to the beautiful black car.

"Did someone leave the freezer door open? I can see my breath its soooo cold." KITT was just in love with game now.

"KITT, game over." Mike called in defeat. "Tell me where you are."

Suddenly, Mike felt a bump come from behind him. He swung around in shock and then dropped his jaw at what he saw. He was looking at a golf cart.

KITT had taken on the form of a KITT, Two Thousand, replica golf cart. Complete with scanner.

Mike let himself into KITT and was just speechless and he sat inside the golf cart's plastic seats. As he looked around, he could see the features of the KITT, Two Thousand's dash.

All of the fury over the unwanted game left Mike. Now he sat inside a golf cart. A freaking golf cart. He busted up laughing. He couldn't believe it. When had Sarah installed Golf Mode? Then he busted up laughing again. Just the words Golf Mode made him die laughing.

"I see you are enjoying my new form." KITT said easily.

"KITT, what in the world?" Mike asked in between sudden bursts of laughter joined by tears.

"I was too recognizable in my Normal Mode and I wouldn't dishonor my predecessor by taking up his form. It actually came to me as I watched a golf cart pass by." KITT said proudly.

"A golf cart, KITT?" Mike asked while still in shock.

Mike never even noticed the massive crowd pointing, laughing, taking pictures and videos, and just plain enjoying the presence…of a golf cart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N- Thank You, ALL for reading and enjoying my little fic. Sorry for the time frame, I had to prepare for, enjoy, and recover from one of the best events of my life. Yes, I am speaking of this Festival. Kudos to everyone involved in making the Festival possible especially Paul Casey. Thank You Mr. Casey! It was the best!

Thank You--Spidey2, BuckleWinner, TropicAngell, and Whitedino for your Awesome reviews! I appreciate it.


	5. KITTCarts & Weddings

KITT-Carts & Weddings

"When did you decide to transform?" Mike asked as he inspected the interior of the black KITT, Two Thousand, replica golf cart.

"Not long after I received my first kiss." KITT said tonelessly.

"Your what?" Mike shot the KITT, Two Thousand, voice modulator a shocked glare.

"If you wait long enough, you will see it on the evening news." KITT added with a bit of grumbling.

Mike busted up laughing again. Not only was he sitting in a KITT, Two Thousand, replica golf cart. But he was also listening to it say that he got _kissed_. He just couldn't hold back the laughter any more.

KITT grumbled at the mocking fun Mike seemed to be having. If KITT could have rolled his eyes, he would have. He decided that he needed to change the subject, "So, what are those papers?"

Mike had forgotten about the Festival papers until now. He held them up and began to read them. "They are the Festival event schedule and description."

KITT immediately scanned the document. He was hoping to find the answers he had been waiting to hear. His excitement faded as he realized that the document was not all in that helpful.

"It says here that there will be a wedding with you as the Best Man." Mike pointed at the schedule. "So why didn't you invite me?"

KITT harrumphed. He had not been invited to wedding. He would have remembered being invited to a wedding especially if he was going to be the Best Man.

"How about it, KITT? Wanna see a wedding?" Mike asked not really knowing why. He really didn't like those kinds of formal events.

KITT had read about Weddings and had seen a lot of video of weddings but he had never physically attended a wedding. This sounded very intriguing. "Yes Michael, I would like to see a bondage ceremony."

"Bondage?" Mike gave KITT a smiling quizzical look.

"Isn't that what the term Marriage entails? It is a bonding of two humans to each other?" KITT thought that he had understood it quite well.

"Yeah KITT, I guess that you are right. I have just never heard it called that before now." Mike said with a smile.

A shorter man in his twenties knocked on KITT's golf cart door. "Can I see inside this awesome golf cart?" He begged through the black door.

Mike gave KITT's tiny voice modulator a quizzical glance then asked, "Do you mind?"

KITT had a quick retort but held it back. He was mentally preparing for another onslaught of gazers and picture hounds. "Michael, I will agree under one condition." KITT spoke firmly.

"Only _one_?" Mike asked teasingly.

"You stay and keep them under control." KITT spoke in a bit of a needing tone.

"Well you have to be the most awesome golf cart in the whole wide world, KITT." Mike said jokingly. "I would be proud to represent it." And then in a softer more sincere and encouraging tone, Mike added, "Yeah KITT, I'll stay."

"Thank You Michael." KITT spoke in a highly appreciative tone.

Mike stepped out of the golf cart and turned toward the smiling crowd. "Come one, Come all!" He called out in a Barnum and Bailey like manner. "Come see the world's first Supercart! He is fast! 16mph! He is strong! Can hold up to 4 people and their golf clubs! He is KITT-CART!"

"Michael really?" KITT spoke exasperatedly into Mike's ear.

Mike opened the four doors to allow the amazed crowd to see inside the KITT-Cart. He carefully watched as the awestruck crowd hovered around the KITT-Cart. Whenever anyone tried to get inside, he shooed them off.

Mike was amazed at how many people gave him congratulations for his unique idea. People were clamoring to know where he had bought it or how long it taken him to build it. They had seemed to have forgotten or didn't care that he looked like that Justin guy. They all wanted to know more about the amazing KITT-Cart.

After an hour or so of being an object of awe, KITT spoke politely into Mike's earwig, "The wedding is in 10 minutes. Shall we be going?"

Mike was talking to a replica owner about what made him want to build a KITT, Two Thousand, replica. He really didn't want to have to leave now. He was learning about a television show featuring his dad and the KITT, Two Thousand and about a motto called, "One Man Can Make A Difference". Mike was making progress. Now was not the time to leave.

"Michael, are we going to the wedding?" KITT asked again when he realized that he was being ignored. KITT wanted to go. He wanted to see what all of the fuss was about when it came to weddings.

Mike waved a dismissive hand in KITT's direction and continued listening to the replica owner describe the TV show that changed his life. To Mike, it was a description of the case files and life experiences of a father he had only met at a funeral. Never had he imagined them to be some fictional storylines that were shown as entertainment.

"Michael!" KITT raised his voice.

Mike was entranced by the stories and wanted this not to end soon. "Hold on, KITT." He coughed into his hand.

"We must be going. We will miss it." KITT added impatiently. He had been looking forward to it since Michael offered for him to go.

Mike shot KITT an annoying look and then turned back to the replica driver. "Are you going to the Wedding with KITT event?"

"Nah, weddings aren't my thing. I'm going stay here. Besides I haven't eaten yet." The replica owner stated dismissively. "Why, are you going?"

"Michael! Let's go." KITT yelled into the earwig.

"Apparently, I am. So, see you around?" Mike asked his new cohort.

"Yeah, all weekend." The replica owner said with a wink. Then they shook hands and Mike climbed into KITT-Cart.

"Everyone back off." Mike yelled in a pleasing tone. "I am about to show you one of the many awesome features of the magnificent KITT-Cart. Are you ready to be dazzled? Are you ready to be amazed? Are you ready to call your Moms in pure shock?" Mike teased the crowd.

"Here we go!" Mike pressed a button on the armrest/console and all 4 doors closed automatically and simultaneously.

Mike yelled out in false belly laughter as he pressed on the gas pedal of the silent electric motor. They moved an amazing 3' per second. "WaaaaaHoooo!!!!" Mike yelled out of his plastic window in false portrayal of flying at a high-speed.

"Michael, Are you alright?" KITT asked with a bit of worry.

"Why yes KITT. I have always wanted to ride in a golf cart going at amazing 1 mph." Mike said sarcastically as he watched a woman whisk passed them pushing a stroller and disappear up ahead somewhere.

Mike let out another yelp of pure happiness.

KITT checked Mike's vitals. There had to be something wrong for him to call out like this. He frowned when he found Mike to be in perfect working order. Wait. Why was that bad? So, he decided to shake his head and just accept it.

"KITT, as much fun as this has been. I think we need to change back." Mike suddenly spoke seriously. "We will get nowhere like this."

"I am tending to agree." KITT said as he watched a child on a colorful big wheel tri-cycle pass him.

KITT made his way down an empty alleyway and slowly dodged behind a filthy fly-ridden dumpster. Once the cover of the dumpster was adequate, KITT initiated transformation.

It never ceased to amaze Mike and he hoped he never would call it common place. He had a front row seat to one of the most astounding events of his life. He sat inside a vehicle that could actually transform itself upon command. And he _loved_ it.

KITT slowly pulled out from behind his protective dumpster and scanned the vicinity. He noticed no eyewitnesses and carefully made his way out of the dark yet acceptable alleyway.

Fifteen minutes after the wedding ceremony had begun, a silent black Mustang GT500KR pulled up close and observant. It seemed to be quietly watching the already-in-progress event. What the outside world didn't see was the small tiff going on inside the black and imposing presence.

"I told you we would miss it." KITT spoke in a frustrated and angry tone.

"We haven't missed a thing. Look KITT they are still up there giving the wedding vows." Mike said as he dove into his drive-thru lunch's white paper bag.

"You had to stop for _that_ now?" KITT hissed in a mocking tone.

"Yeah KITT, I need to eat." Mike spoke expectantly as he eyed his burger while unwrapping it. He jammed a few fries into his mouth before munching down on the large greasy burger.

"Keep that over a napkin please." KITT commented as he watched it drip onto Mike's leg.

"Don't watch me. We are here to enjoy a Wedding, remember?" Mike commented between huge bites of his wondrous burger.

"It would be more pleasurable if I didn't have to try to hear it over your chewing." KITT snapped.

"Jeez KITT, can't a man eat without you getting all upset." Mike asked as he dipped his fries into a mess of ketchup.

"Yes he can," KITT added dryly. "As long as it is not inside me. Now Shush. I am trying to watch this."

Mike grumbled something under his breath at KITT but it was muffled by his chewing. He continued to finish his lunch in silence well as much silence as a to-go take-out lunch could be silent.

KITT focused on the wedding. It was obviously a very important event in a human's life. It was surrounded in huge ceremonies that had much pomp and circumstance. He needed to know what this entailed.

"Michael?" KITT asked quietly after a while.

"Yes KITT, I'll clean it up I promise." Mike said as he was preparing for another calling down. He must have dropped a French fry or something.

"Will you ever partake in this ceremony?" KITT asked quietly.

Mike looked up at the wedding for the first time. He was here for KITT not for himself. He sat in silence as he watched the couple exchange rings. "Maybe someday KITT. Maybe someday."

"Will it be to Sarah?" KITT asked thoughtfully.

Mike had considered it a million times in the past, especially right before he left for a tour of duty. He even asked her one time while on a tour of duty even though he never remembered it, Sarah did. He watched the couple smile lovingly to each other while holding hands. Maybe someday, he thought to himself.

"Michael?" KITT asked quietly again.

"Yes KITT," he answered this time not really sure he wanted to know what the next question was.

"If you do ever get bonded to another in a wedding, what will happen to me?" KITT asked as he watched the female slip a rather expensive ring onto the male's finger.

Mike had never thought about that before now. He had gotten so used to KITT always being there that he had never thought that it would be any different. Could he have both? Would he have both?

"Your long silence tells me that you are unsure. I guess we will have to worry about this when it comes." KITT spoke in a downward tone.

Mike nodded silently. He was glad he didn't have to answer because he didn't have one. He continued to watch the ceremony with a little more respect after that.

The wedding ended with a soft kiss and the couple followed by everyone in the chapel began to file out onto the parking lot and front side walk. Mike shoved the last of his trash into the white paper take-out bag and jumped out of KITT. He carefully tossed the trash into a nearby grey receptacle and headed over to the happy couple to offer his congratulations.

"Congrats to you." Mike said as he firmly shook the hand of the groom.

There was a brief moment of confusion and then a shock of recognition crossed the groom's face. "Oh My Gosh, it's Justin Bruening!" The happy groom laughed as he solidly shook Mike's hand vigorously.

The jubilant bride met Mike's gaze with even more glee than the groom. She bear-hugged him hard and slapped his back in pure happiness. "I can't believe this. I will never forget this as long as I live. My grandchildren's grandchildren will tell this story in the future." She giggled.

Mike was met with very familiar sight. He was shoved, by a pushy wedding coordinator, into another photo session. This time, the pictures were taken with the happy couple. He was getting used to this but he was going to have to have his eyes checked when he got back to the KittCave. He was starting to see stars from all the flashbulbs.

Mike proudly posed with the couple. Why not? It was making their day maybe even their year. He still didn't understand how they knew him or who this Justin was. However, Mike didn't seem to mind doing this for them. It just felt right.

KITT didn't mind at all when the photo session moved over to him. He wanted to do his part. If it only included taking pictures with him, then so be it. He smiled on the inside as the couple shook with pure joy while they were leaning up against his sun-warmed black nano-skin. He was very very happy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N- I never did get a chance to go to the Wedding with KITT as the Best Man event. I wanted to though. I did get to meet the bride. Congratulations on the renewal of your vows (I-LOVE-KITT)…Many happy happy years to you and your husband! May you never forget this great event in all your wonderful years together!

Thank You, all my readers for sticking around and enjoying my wacky adventures of Mike and KITT at the KR Festival!

Take Care, and Enjoy!


	6. Cruisin' With KITT

Cruisin' With KITT

Mike stirred quietly in KITT's warm driver's seat. He hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep until he felt a cool breeze waft over his bare arm. He lazily opened one eye to check out his surroundings.

After the long photo shoot at the wedding, all the KITT cars paraded to a parking garage on Fremont St. While on route with the line-up of replicas, KITT noticed Mike release the steering wheel and nod off into a restful sleep. Considering the fact that Michael had been going non-stop since 7 am with only a few hours rest, KITT didn't blame Michael's body for taking this moment of relaxation to catch up on some much needed sleep.

KITT was now parked among 10-12 KITT, Two Thousand, replicas and two replicas of himself. He was now getting used to all the silent yet familiar company. As an added bonus, there were not so many onlookers and picture takers here. It was peaceful and a perfect spot to let Michael rest.

"KITT?" Mike asked softly as he slightly stretched but didn't move out of his restful position.

"Yes Michael," KITT responded quietly.

"Where are we?" Mike asked with light confusion. He remembered maybe something about Las Vegas but sleep still blocked him from recalling it fully.

"We are in a parking garage, Michael." KITT stated in a whisper. He really didn't need Michael to awaken yet. He would rather let him sleep.

"What time is it?"

"Time for you to go back to sleep." KITT calmly stated and began to slightly warm up his interior in hopes to help lull him back to sleep.

Mike let out a soft chuckle and then succumbed to KITT's proposition of going back to sleep. Minutes later, he was softly snoring.

As dusk began to fall, KITT noticed a sudden commotion in the otherwise quiet parking garage. He watched the replica owner's return and they were accompanied by a flock of photographers. He noticed that even the two replicas of him had gathered attention and that was odd.

"Michael, please wake up. We have company and they seem to be preparing for something." KITT spoke in a louder more alert tone.

Mike groaned deeply, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. "What's up, KITT?"

"All of the replica drivers have returned along with some press. It looks like everyone's preparing for departure." KITT assessed.

Mike sat up straight and stretched again, this time it reached all the way down to his toes. He then let out a long yawn and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Well KITT, what is next on the schedule. I'm guessing that they are getting ready to go to the next event."

"The next event on the schedule is called Cruise with KITT and Take Pictures under the Las Vegas Sign. Are we going to participate in this?" KITT asked expectantly.

"Sit tight for a sec." Mike said as he jumped out of KITT's driver's seat and made a bee-line to the tall man with thick black hair.

"Justin, so glad you could make it." The tall dark haired gentleman spoke in a very friendly voice as he outstretched his hand toward Mike. "So are you going to drive KITT down 4th St with us and take your picture with the World Famous Welcome sign?"

Mike hadn't considered it when KITT spoke in his ear, "Michael, they are departing. Let's go."

"Do you want to go for a drive, KITT?" Mike teased as he made his way back to KITT.

"How often will this opportunity arise? I am currently not assigned to a mission, have no immediate obligations except to you, and am surrounded by vehicles that strikingly look like my predecessor." KITT happily explained.

"In layman's terms, KITT." Mike asked as he slid behind KITT's leather wrapped steering wheel.

"I want to join the group on their drive and have my picture taken." KITT hesitantly admitted.

"In that case, let's go." Mike said excitedly as KITT started his powerful engine.

Dusk had long turned into dark when the convoy of 15 rumbled out of the claustrophobic parking garage. The sheer number of vehicles and growling of powerful engines set off numerous sensitive car alarms in the echoing concrete garage.

As soon as the line-up exited the fluorescent lit parking garage, they were joined by a very diversified group of replicas. KITT counted a total of 75 vehicles that joined the 15 as they rolled out onto 4th St. KITT was in front of a replica of him in Attack Mode and behind a version of him in Normal Mode.

Mike rolled down KITT's darkly tinted windows and allowed the slightly cool breeze to flow within KITT's interior. For it being March, it was unseasonably warm. Not only that, they were only traveling at 20 mph. Mike leaned his head out of KITT's wide open window to catch a view of the infinitely long line-up of shiny replicas. They came in all ages, styles, sizes, and Modes. Mike recognized every single one of them.

Mike looked up from the street and then sucked in a deep breath of cool clean desert air. He craned his neck hard to see the towering pinnacle that was the Stratosphere Casino as KITT passed underneath it. Mike remembered this marvel from his last time living here and visiting while on a case. However, he never really _looked_ at it before now. His eyes opened in awe as he marveled at the beauty of the skyscraping tower.

Mike stretched out, leaned back in KITT's driver's seat, and interlaced his fingers behind his head. He was taking full advantage of this two-day vacation by relaxing. He let the cool evening air waft over him as he allowed KITT to drive along with the procession. "KITT?" Mike finally broke the comfortable silence.

"Yes Michael," KITT answered softly. He was rather enjoying the drive, too. They weren't going fast. They were just cruising together.

"How are you enjoying your two-days off, so far?" Mike asked with his eyes closed, he was being lulled by the powerful vibrations of KITT's engine below him.

KITT pondered the question for a few seconds while he kept a close eye on the long train of replicas. Finally he answered, "If you are referring to me getting rest, I haven't had more than the usual. If you are referring to me not having emotional distress, watch my first kiss on the evening news." KITT stated with a little sarcasm. Then his tone softened and he added, "However, today I have seen you laugh hard, catch up on some much needed rest, and partake in a relaxed social environment. I am very happy with that."

"KITT?" Mike asked while still leaning back with his eyes closed.

"Yes Michael," KITT answered softly.

"All you had to say was 'Yes'." Mike answered with a smile.

"Yes Michael," KITT answered in quiet affirmation and earned a cool grin from Mike.

They drove the rest of the trip in peaceful companionship.

About 10 minutes later, the procession of easily recognizable replica cars and one Authentic KITT came to a slow stop. The convoy of mostly black paint and red scanners made pedestrians on the nearby sidewalk stop and stare in shock.

KITT was number 52 in the long train of cars. All 51 vehicles in front of him blocked his scanners from seeing the view up ahead. So KITT tried to access a satellite in close orbit for a better view. However with the severely limited access available lately, he was denied. This left KITT with only one other option. An option that he really didn't want to pursue.

On a private chat line, away from Mike's view, that only allowed for sound and text, a very familiar voice was heard and it wasn't happy. "What do you want, KITT?" Billy grumbled.

"I need access to a satellite that can capture a view of 4th St in Las Vegas." KITT answered emotionlessly.

"Vegas?!" Billy yelled. "You guys are in Vegas? Sarah said that you were on an important assignment that needed to be handled now. And now I find out that you are in Las Vegas?" Billy whined loudly.

KITT internally rolled his eyes then said, "Billy focus for me. Satellite. 4th St. Las Vegas, Nv."

With a curled lower lip and a quiet moan, Billy began searching for a viable satellite link-up. "Vegas" he mumbled sadly as he honed in on a little used surveillance satellite.

KITT stayed silent. He didn't need to add any more reasons for Billy to get jealous.

Suddenly KITT could hear Billy gasp loudly. In a barely audible breath, Billy whispered, "KITT, which one is you?"

"Billy, do you have the satellite frequency?" KITT asked evasively.

"Yeah KITT, sending it to you now. What's going on?" Billy asked while staring at the satellite feed of the long line of KITTs.

KITT received the satellite image clearly. He then proceeded to send a security program through the satellite. The foreign program rendered KITT as the only recipient allowed access to the surveillance satellite and its images.

The visual of the long line of KITTs on Billy's monitor suddenly turned fuzzy, changed to pure static, then went black displaying 'Access Denied'. "KITT, I lost the signal. Searching for a new satellite." Billy said excitedly as he began a new search.

"No need, Billy" KITT said as emotionless as he could manage. "I have the data I have been seeking. Thank You." Then KITT quickly closed the private chat line.

"Vegas!" Billy whined to Zoe. "They took my day off to go to Vegas."

"And what did you have planned for your day off, anyway? A whole fun-packed day of WOW? Maybe, I should ask you out on a date for variety." Zoe remarked with a sweet smile as she crossed her legs toward him.

"Really?" Billy smiled expectantly.

"Yeah," Zoe said as her face changed to sarcasm. "When KITT comes back with a light-up bumper sticker that sings." She laughed deviously as she turned back to her computer station.

Billy began hurriedly typing out an email to KITT asking him to be on the lookout for singing light-up bumper stickers.

KITT tapped into his newly pilfered satellite with ease and checked out what was going on up ahead of him. He discovered a lowly erected diamond shaped sign that read, 'Welcome to Las Vegas'. Not far from the well-lit sign sat a professional photography station which included 6' tall stands that held high powered flashbulbs. KITT displayed the satellite feed on his HUD.

"KITT, what's this?" Mike asked as he noticed the live images on the display.

The line-up of cars was being brought up one by one in front of the sign. Each vehicle was getting 3 pictures taken and then moved to the oncoming lanes of traffic that were blocked off by the local LV police.

"That is the view of what is to come." KITT stated proudly but held back on how he managed to receive this live video feed.

"Well KITT, are you ready for _yet_ another photo session?" Mike joked as he watched a tall replica driver lean up against his KITT, Two Thousand's hood next to the red flashing scanner and gave a glee-full thumb up.

"Oddly enough, I am becoming accustomed to having my picture taken." KITT reluctantly admitted.

"Well that is nice KITT because it looks like our turn is coming up next." Mike noted as he watched the only other Normal Mode of KITT, Three Thousand, pull up in front of the Welcome sign.

KITT seemed to be preening himself in preparation for his professional photo opportunity. Three times, he ran his nano-skin regeneration program to make sure he had no blemishes. He checked his scanners illumination to be sure it had a very aesthetic color scheme. He even went so far as to check his windows for dirt or grime. "Michael, how do I look?" KITT asked while anxiously worried.

"You look fine." Mike answered nicely. "Why are you worried about it? This is your third photo session today."

"Really Michael," KITT answered in a lightly annoyed tone. "A car should look his best for every single picture, especially when a professional photographer is present."

Mike let out a light chuckle as he noticed KITT checking the brightness of his headlights. He didn't even have time to add a sarcastic comment because the Normal Mode KITT had completed his session and moved away. Now it was their turn.

KITT pulled carefully onto the red carpet that had been laid out for this very occasion. After carefully checking the professional camera's trajectory and the flash bulb's focus points, KITT stopped in the very best spot for the most perfect picture.

"Sir, I need you to pull up two feet." The stout frosted-blonde photographer directed.

"KITT you heard him. Pull up two feet." Mike lightly ordered.

KITT refused silently by ignoring the photographer and not answering Michael. He knew that his calculations were precise.

When KITT didn't move or respond, Mike asked, "KITT, what's up? Are you suddenly camera shy?"

"No Michael, the camera man is mistaken. I am in perfect alignment for the most optimum view of my exterior. Therefore, I refuse to move another centimeter much less two feet." KITT stated firmly.

Mike gave KITT a stunned look.

"If I am going to allow a professional photograph to be taken, it will be done correctly." KITT continued.

"Okay KITT, whatever you say." Mike said with a smile as he tapped the steering wheel and then climbed out.

"Sir," the photographer rudely yelled from his perch behind the camera. "I have 40 more cars to photograph. Listen to my directions closely and follow them carefully. Put the car in first gear and move forward two feet. Do you understand or do I have to write it down for you?"

Mike's relaxed mood was quickly coming to an end and it was directly related to the short-tempered photographer. Mike was about to make a snide remark to the rude cameraman when he was interrupted.

"Oh My Gosh, it's Justin. I'm sorry, sir." The rude cameraman said with a genuine smile as he rushed over to Mike. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day. I do need you to move your car though."

Without even thinking, Mike said, "KITT won't move. He says the he is in the perfect spot." The second that Mike finished his sentence he squinted in shame.

"Who said what?" The frosted-haired cameraman asked quizzically.

"Umm," Mike then gave the puzzled man a pleading glance. "Can you just take the picture from here, please?"

The young cameraman dodged back to his waiting equipment and waved to Mike. "Take up any position you want, Justin. I will wait."

Mike jumped up on KITT's hood on the passenger side, leaned up onto the windshield, and propped his head up with his arm. "KITT, how's this?" Mike whispered through his teeth.

"Not good." KITT answered matter-of-factly. "I would prefer you not covering me up so much."

Mike's face changed to a slight smirk as he let himself down off of KITT. "Okay, Mr. Picky, where am I supposed to be then?"

Did Michael not know what he just asked? KITT guessed not, because he gave that question its due answer. "Somewhere 10 feet from here." KITT said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, KITT. I want to be in the picture too." Mike whined.

"If you insist on being in _my_ picture, then take a seat in front of my bumper and don't block the scanner." KITT teased.

Mike gave KITT a sarcastically sad and hurt look. Then he jumped up on KITT's hood right above the scanner. He then crossed his legs, Indian style, covering the red swishing scanner summarily leaving KITT's whole front bumper covered. "Like this?" Mike teased back.

KITT growled in frustration. Sometimes, Michael could just drive him crazy. "No Michael," KITT grumbled. "Now behave."

The sudden patience of the frosted-haired photographer was beginning to wear thin. Watching Justin playing around on the hood of the Mustang GT500KR was not helping his happy mood. Not only that, the cameraman could swear that Justin was talking to someone. He just couldn't see who. "Please, make a decision." The camera man spoke as nicely as his patience would allow. "I need to wrap up this session soon."

"See!" KITT scoffed. "Now lean up against me and let's do this." He ordered.

Mike happily came down off of KITT's hood and gave the swishing scanner a wry grin. Then he lazily leaned against KITT's blemish-free passenger door and smiled wide for the camera.

The instant Mike was off of KITT's hood, KITT reset his nano-skin to ensure that there were no scuff marks or scratches that would show up in his picture. He then gave his best rendition of a smile as the flashbulbs blinked brightly.

"Thank You, Mr. Bruening." The now-pleased cameraman said as he pointed to where the previously photographed now sat in wait. "Please stand by over there for the group shot."

Mike wasn't done having fun. He quickly ran out in front of KITT, turned to face him, leaned over, and patted his knees. Jokingly, he called out, "Here KITT. Here boy."

KITT growled into Mike's earwig and didn't move an inch.

"Come on, KITT. This way boy." Mike continued teasing.

If KITT's scanner could shoot ice cubes, Mike's forehead would have little red square shaped welts. As it was, KITT could only growl and remain unresponsive.

"Come on, KITT. I know you can do it. Come 'er, KITT." Mike called out as he continued to pat his knees.

Was Michael serious? Did he really want KITT to come? KITT didn't know.

Mike turned to the hysterically laughing crowd and said, "I guess he's shy, huh?" Then he laughed outrageously. Mike crossed over to KITT's driver's side door and attempted to get in.

The second Mike's hand touched KITT's shiny door handle, KITT sent a low voltage shock through it. It was the equivalent to a shock of static electricity. KITT smiled internally as he watched Mike jump back away from the door.

"Ouch!" Mike exclaimed as he stepped back a foot and shook his numbing fingers. "KITT, that hurt." Mike whined with a smile.

"Static electricity can hurt." KITT chuckled into Mike's earwig.

The gathered audience was laughing uncontrollably like they were watching a rehearsed comedy act in one of the nearby casinos. They were entranced by the act and were enthusiastically awaiting the next scene.

Mike turned to the audience and bowed deeply. "Thank You. Thank You." He called out. "Now don't forget to tip your waitress." Then he climbed back inside KITT and moved off to allow the photo session to continue.

"Really Michael, do you have to do that?" KITT asked in a bit of a grumpy tone.

"Did you have to shock me?" Mike asked back with a huge smile.

"Yes. Yes, I did." KITT answered with a thrilled tone.

"Now you have your answer." Mike answered simply and then jumped out to watch the photo session to continue.

As soon as the last replica was photographed, the tall dark haired organizer called all of the replicas back over to the Welcome sign. He lined everyone up in a triangle pattern having the base of the triangle closest to the white sign. He had Mike and KITT take the closest spot to the camera which was the tip of the triangle.

The organizer had everyone climb out of their vehicles, lean up against their driver's side doors, and give a big grinning thumbs up. Everyone obliged. The photo was also captured by KITT through the live satellite feed.

Once the last photo of the massive group of shiny metal was taken, everyone paraded throughout the main surface streets of Las Vegas. They were never in a rush. They were just cruising in Las Vegas.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N- I am sooo sorry to make every one of you wait.

I do not own a replica so, I didn't get to go on the photo shoot. However, I did get to see some of it through videos on Knight Rider Online. I am exaggerating on the number of vehicles present in this story. Maybe next year, this will be how many that will show. I can only wish.

I hope you all enjoyed this Chapter. It had a more companionship feel to it.

Thank You Everyone for Reviewing!

I sooo love hearing from you all!


	7. Skiing in Las Vegas

Skiing in Las Vegas

Soon the group arrived back at Fremont St. Everyone was being cleared at the guard gate as they attempted to drive onto the pedestrian walkway. One-by-one, the replica owners and their vehicles were granted passage onto the crowded walkway.

Mike wasn't worried about being denied access. He had registered KITT and in doing so, had secured his right to drive onto and park on Fremont St. Mike collected up his green parking pass off of KITT's dash and prepared to brandish it to a different yet imposing young security guard. He never had the chance to show it.

The dark haired organizer, that had been ever-present at all the events, knocked hurriedly on KITT's darkly tinted window. "Justin? Justin, are you there?" He worriedly called.

Mike considered ignoring the misinformed organizer. However, he decided that it was best to just go along with the charade for the moment. "KITT, what do you think he wants?" Mike asked while making the anxious man wait.

"I theorize that it has something to do with the next scheduled event. Every time an event is forthcoming, this gentleman appears." KITT surmised quietly.

"What is the next event scheduled?" Mike asked while watching the dark haired man get frustrated.

KITT displayed the event schedule on his HUD for Michael to see. Then he highlighted the next upcoming event. It read, 'Ski Mode Stunt with the Mayor of Las Vegas'. "Does this mean what I think it means?" KITT asked worriedly.

"Well KITT, there is a way to find out. Roll down the window." Mike said with a sigh.

"Finally Justin, I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me." The dark haired man spoke sweetly. Then his face changed to determination as he said, "We are running out of time. I need you to hurry over to the Plaza Casino. The Mayor is already there and waiting."

"Mayor?" Mike asked in confusion.

"Yeah, weren't you informed? You're bringing the Mayor in for the ceremony." The dark haired organizer said with a quizzical glance.

"Okay" Mike hesitantly agreed. "On our way." Then he had KITT up the tinted window thus ending the conversation.

As the organizer moved away, KITT easily maneuvered out of his spot in the line-up of replicas. He then took the opportunity to ask, "Michael, do you sincerely plan on letting the Mayor of Las Vegas ride inside me?"

"Yes KITT, as a matter of fact I do. Why not?" Mike asked knowing full well what KITT response would be.

"He is not an authorized occupant, we are not on an assignment, and I am a highly classified technological marvel. He is not invited to be inside my interior." KITT protested.

"Geez KITT, don't hold back or anything." Mike sarcastically remarked. "We _are_ on an assignment. We have been assigned a two day vacation. Our vacation includes learning about this festival and its participants. That definitely includes the Mayor of Las Vegas." Mike concluded straightforwardly.

KITT grumbled inwardly. Mike's logic seemed flawless so it couldn't be argued.

As KITT pulled up the well-lit drive of the Plaza Casino, he proceeded to shut down every single non-essential program and/or device. This included his globe-like blue and red voice modulator. KITT considered activating a holographic projection of a general dashboard that would be found inside any given Mustang GT500KR. He then decided that this was a frivolous worry. "What would the Mayor of Las Vegas know about cars, anyway?" KITT thought to himself.

KITT had one more worry that had to be alleviated. "Michael, do you seriously plan on publicly showcasing my Ski Mode?"

"Yeah KITT, why not? Everyone seems to know you and your awesome abilities. So, why not?" Mike asked expectantly.

"I am a highly sophisticated and classified tool. I am not a trained poodle." KITT whined.

"KITT just bear with me and try to have fun." Mike commented sweetly. "You know what, KITT?"

"I know a lot, Michael." KITT quickly retorted while knowing full well that this was not Michael's desired answer.

Mike chuckled and added, "The Mayor has no idea, KITT. No idea how much fun he is about to have."

"I still do not agree to be a stunt car working for the sole amusement of an ungrateful audience." KITT vehemently objected as they pulled up in front of the Plaza Casino.

"KITT, I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing your Ski Mode, yet. Please?" Mike begged the stubborn AI.

"My Ski Mode was fully tested by Dr. Graiman, but I have not had the opportunity to utilize that function since then. Are you sure that you wish to go through this needless stunt?" KITT asked in a last ditch effort to talk Michael out of wanting to perform the reckless maneuver.

Meanwhile outside of KITT, a stout, greying older gentleman attempted to gain access to KITT through the locked passenger door. With his debate still raging on, KITT kept his safe-like door sealed shut. He watched with annoyance as the man, he could only guess was the Mayor of Las Vegas, tried over and over tirelessly to gain access. KITT actually smirked when he heard the Mayor whine a complaint to a nearby aide.

"KITT, your concerns are noted. Now can we please get on with it?" Mike said firmly in hopes that it would help KITT decide. It did.

"Here are some quick instructions, Michael." KITT relented. "Since you have no previous knowledge or training in how to do Ski Mode, I will need to assist you. When you hear me say, 'Now', you are to press the Ski Mode function key I will have displayed on my HUD. I would have preferred to keep my HUD unlit but I guess that is a moot point." KITT whined.

Mike rolled his eyes at KITT's whining but maintained his silence.

In an instructive tone, KITT continued, "I need you to fully understand that no sudden or harsh movements will be allowed. They can cause catastrophic results. Please instruct the Mayor to do the same."

Mike nodded in affirmation but spoke not a word. He was deeply concentrating on KITT's list of Do's and Don'ts.

"The landing will be jarring, much less than my Turbo Boost, but be prepared for it." KITT continued. "One last thing, please instruct the crowd to stay back. I do not know how my dominate program, The Preservation of Human Life, would react if I had an unfortunate accident and I would prefer not to find out." KITT concluded solemnly.

"Got it." Mike agreed. "Anything else?"

"Sit down, hold on, and enjoy the ride." KITT answered in a more upbeat tone.

"Okay then KITT, let the man in." Mike said after taking in a long deep breath.

As soon as the passenger door lock clicked open, the grey-haired Mayor angrily yanked the shiny black door open. "I understand that you are an actor." The highly agitated Mayor spoke bitterly as he took his seat inside KITT. "And you command all around you. However, I demand the same respect. Understand?" The Mayor snarled.

Mike's friendly-inviting smile was instantly transformed into a matter-of-fact grimace. "Excuse Me?" is all he could choke out at that minute.

Mike could feel KITT's darkened voice-modulator glaring at the pompous Mayor. Mike was very glad that KITT had to stay silent through this ordeal. He could only imagine the berating KITT would give the Mayor if he could.

"I expect the same respect from you that you would expect from others. Got it?" The Mayor reiterated but in a much calmer tone.

"Listen, what we are about to do, had better not be taken lightly, sir. It is very very dangerous for both of us. Not only that, it can damage a very important and expensive piece of machinery. It takes both mental as well as physical preparation before a stunt is to be performed. I apologize if you consider it disrespect. But in actuality, I am showing a huge respect for your very life." Mike said in a commanding tone.

The Mayor's face showed shock as he heard Mike call him down. He hadn't expected it.

After taking a deep meditative breath, Mike continued but in a softer more relaxed tone. "I need you to pay careful attention now, okay? Whatever you do, stay still. Do not make any sudden movements or jerk around while we are on two wheels. Also, the landing will be rough. Can you handle it? Do you have any injuries or medical problems that can be affected?"

"Pardon me if I sounded rude." The Mayor began in a softer more human tone. "Like you, I guess, I am a bit anxious about doing this. I cannot believe that I agreed to be a part of this."

Mike gave the fearful Mayor a concerned look. "Are you sure that you want to do this?"

The Mayor sucked in a deep breath and held it in couple of seconds. With his eyes loosely closed, he let it out in a nervous sigh. "Well my boy," he softly whispered. "Do you plan on going through with this insanity?" The Mayor asked with an evil grin.

"Only if your heart can take it." Mike jokingly responded.

"My heart is as strong as a rampaging bull at a Rodeo, my boy." The Mayor commented with a massive friendly smile. "If you can do it, then let's do this thing." The Mayor excitedly added with a hard shoulder punch to Mike.

Mike noticed the lower left-hand corner of KITT's windshield displayed a small paperclip sized blue box with the words Ski Mode written within it in white text. It was so well hidden away from the Mayor's point of view, that Mike had a hard time seeing it. However, he knew that it was there.

Mike slowly pulled KITT out of the ½ circle pull-up drive in front of the Plaza Casino. Both the Mayor and he sat in nervous silence. Mike wouldn't have been able to talk, anyway. His mouth was so dry it felt like it had been packed full with the world's most absorbent cotton.

Mike turned nervously to check on the Mayor. He wasn't surprised to see the older man was as pale as a ghost. At first, Mike was worried about hauling the Mayor into this stunt. But then, he dismissed his worry because KITT would have aborted the stunt if he feared for the man's health.

Mike lined KITT up perfectly with Fremont St. He had a straight line-of-sight down all five blocks.

Suddenly, Mike threw his hands up in the air and screamed, "No!" at the top of his lungs. He jumped out of KITT repeating "No" over and over again.

Mike had seen small one-wheel car ramps periodically placed along the walkway of Fremont St. Supposedly, they were placed there to assist him with gently airlifting KITT for Ski Mode. Mike didn't need them and in fact they were in his way. "Clear the way!" Mike yelled at the top of his lungs. "Move those ramps. Move them!" He said as he waved his arms gesturing the meaning of pushing something to the side.

Immediately, the dark haired promoter appeared next to Mike. "Justin, what are you doing? We have the Ski Mode stunt planned for right now. Drive up the ramps and come down easy, please." The promoter begged Mike as he listened to the unsatisfied audience grumble.

Mike turned to the promoter and said in a very businesslike tone, "I plan on performing the stunt, I plan on doing it perfectly, and I plan on doing it _without_ the ramps."

The promoter gave Mike a flabbergasted look. After he had finally collected up all his faculties, he whispered, "No one has been able to get a car up on two wheels without assistance. You definitely won't be able to do it in a heavy car like that."

Mike turned toward KITT and winked. He then faced the promoter head on and said, "You have selected me to perform this stunt. Let me do it and let me do it my way." Mike said sincerely. "How about this? If KITT cannot do the Ski Mode in the first try, we use the ramps." Mike said with a devious smile while earning a nearly silent harrumph in his earwig.

"You have a deal, Justin." The promoter announced with his eyes full of excitement.

The dark haired promoter then pulled a hand-held walkie-talkie off of his black leather belt and spoke firmly into it. "Remove the ramps, Berger."

"10-9? I think I misunderstood you." A high voice crackled over the radio.

"You heard me, Berger. Move all the ramps to the side. Hurry." The promoter ordered into his radio.

Mike then turned back to KITT and was just climbing into the driver's seat when he was stopped by a reassuring firm hand clutching his upper arm. He looked up in surprise and saw the grateful promoter standing next to him. "Thank You, Justin. You have no idea how much this means to me, the children, and everyone involved in the Festival. We cannot thank you enough."

Mike gave the promoter a brotherly pat on the back and then slid behind KITT's steering wheel. He gave the nervous Mayor an affirming nod and then gently patted KITT's dash just above the darkened globe-like voice modulator.

"What happened?" the Mayor finally choked out through his nervousness.

"They had put out ramps for us to use. They are dangerous and I do not need them. So, I had them taken away. No worries. As soon as we get the all-clear, it's a go." Mike said as he tightly gripped the steering wheel. It was so tight that his knuckles were white.

"Michael relax." KITT said softly into the earwig. "We got this."

Mike rolled his eyes at KITT's off-the-wall comment but dared not answer. If he answered, he would have one confused Mayor on his hands.

About 5 minutes later, all of the ramps were clear of Mike and KITT's path. An aide appeared, took up a position next to Mike's tinted window, and waved expectantly. As soon as Mike lowered the window, the aide explained, "When I drop my arm, you are clear and must go."

Mike nodded and upped the window. "Okay Mayor, this is your last chance to escape. Do you still want to go through with this?" Mike asked sincerely to the rather quiet Mayor.

"No way, my boy. Not for all the corn in Nebraska." The Mayor said as he attempted a nervous smile.

"Okay, then prepare for the best car ride of your lifetime Mayor." Mike called out in an adrenaline-filled rush.

Mike started KITT's powerful engine and let it rumble angrily for a few seconds. He absolutely loved the torque-filled vibrations. He kept KITT in Neutral while he gunned the monstrous engine hard a couple of times.

"Okay, it works." KITT complained into the earwig.

Mike gunned it again, this time for show.

Suddenly, the aide's arm came down fast and hard indicating for Mike to go. Mike shoved KITT into 2nd gear and floored the gas pedal. They flew off the line in squealing tires and smoke. Instantly, they were up to speed to successfully activate Ski Mode.

The crowd began to jump and scream. They whooped and video recorded. They clapped and they shoved each other around for a better spot to see. The instant noise of the enthusiastic crowd only fueled itself into more loud behavior.

"Now!" KITT ordered into the earwig.

"Remember, don't move." Mike yelled at the Mayor as he leaned in and pressed the flashing Ski Mode button on KITT's HUD.

KITT easily lifted onto his driver side front and rear tires. It felt like a smooth pop-up. He sailed down the pedestrian walkway like this for 4 full seconds before he let gravity bring him down with a bounce.

The audience howled with delight as they watched the black Mustang GT500KR side up onto two wheels without assistance. They began loudly chanting KITT's name throughout Fremont St.

The dark haired promoter encouraged the crowd to make more noise. He climbed up onstage, grabbed up a working microphone, and joined loudly into the chant.

"KITT! KITT! KITT!" The excited audience screamed over and over.

Mike's face beamed with joy and pride. "Awesome! KITT!" He yelled. He didn't care what the Mayor would think at this point.

The Mayor was silent and as white as the snow in Greenland. He was still in pure shock.

"KITT, is the Mayor okay?" Mike asked worriedly.

"Yes Michael, he is just in shock. He will survive." KITT said into Mike's earwig.

"KITT! KITT! KITT!" The enthralled crowd continued as KITT came to a stop at the end of The Fremont St Experience canopy.

"KITT, are we done?" Mike asked with an expectant smile.

"Is that a trick question?" KITT asked while knowing that Mike had some odd plan in the back of his devious mind.

"KITT, keep and eye on the crowd and make sure that we are clear at all times. Let's have some fun." Mike said as he threw KITT into reverse and slammed on the gas pedal. He then swung the steering wheel around hard as he slammed on the brakes. Thus throwing KITT into a power slide.

With smoke and squealing tires, KITT slid around to face the direction he had come from.

Mike then shoved KITT into Neutral again and gunned the engine. KITT's powerful engine roared like a lion on the Serengeti. Mike kept his foot on the brake as he slammed KITT into 2nd gear. The tires squealed in anger and a thick grey smoke began to cloud around the walkway.

The ecstatic crowd continued chanting KITT's name while screaming and clapping.

"I hate to be a downer." KITT said into the earwig. "However, I can no longer get a confirming visual of the crowd. We must discontinue this. It is too dangerous."

Mike agreed and placed KITT in park. The grey hued smoke hung low in the air. However, Mike could clearly hear the crowd thoroughly enjoy the spectacular being that was KITT.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N- There was never a public stunt show at the Festival. I sooo wanted to see one. This was my imagination of such event, if it had ever actually occurred. I just LOVE KITT!

Anyway, Thank You all for sticking around with me and reviewing.

I just Love writing this out!

Take Care ALL and enjoy!


	8. Publicity Stunt?

Publicity Stunt?

The blue-hued acrid smoke hung low in the air. It wisped and curled over KITT's black nano-skin. Mike could barely see the auras of the pastel neon lights of the casino marquees. It would have had the feeling of an apocalypse if there hadn't been screams of joy bursting through the air.

"KITT! KITT! KITT!" The exuberant audience screamed at the top of their lungs as they clapped to their chant.

Mike loosened up his shoulders and relaxed into KITT's warm leather driver's seat for a second. Then he turned his head slowly to check on the shocked mayor.

The grey-haired mayor suddenly sucked in a deep breath of air and settled low into the passenger's seat. He knew that at this moment, he was to get out and deliver a well-written speech. But in his current condition, he was definitely not ready.

There was practically no breeze to dissipate the smoke. So, it lifted slowly as it surrounded each light bulb in colorful auras. Both the Mayor and Mike were grateful for the momentary minute so as they could re-learn how to breathe.

"Well Mayor, it's now or never. Time to meet our fans I guess." Mike said as he gently caressed KITT's steering wheel.

Finally after what seemed like hours to the excited audience, KITT's driver's side door slowly clicked open. Through the still present haze, Justin's head slowly appeared. He rose up almost painfully as the adrenaline evacuated his body and left him slightly weak. Mike waved shyly to the screaming fans.

The Mayor gave Mike an astounded look of pure exhaustion. He wasn't ready to discover if he had legs that would hold him up. He thought that he wouldn't be ready for several days. Then, he smiled idly at the very idea.

Mike grimaced at the smell of the choking fumes but slowly made his way around KITT. He ran his fingers along KITT's hood as he rounded KITT's front. Mike gently opened KITT's passenger's door and reluctantly offered the Mayor a hand of support.

The audience had quit chanting KITT's name but they were far from silent. Some were randomly screaming Justin's name, others were yelling into their cell phones, and still others were arguing over their claimed positions against the yellow railing.

Two tall and slender girls dressed in outfits that would make the Chiquita Banana girl jealous appeared out of no where. They latched on to each side of the pale and silent mayor. They hooked their arms onto his and maneuvered him toward the nearby stage.

The dark haired promoter was proudly announcing The Mayor of Las Vegas and Justin Bruening, the driver of KITT. He glowed of pure joy.

Mike and the Mayor managed to get about 2' away from KITT before they were swarmed by picture hungry photographers. It had the feel of hornets closing in and nailing their target. The eager cameramen managed to push both the exhausted mayor and the shocked Mike back against KITT's warm body.

The Mayor leaned heavily against the soft black finish of the Mustang GT500KR. He welcomed the second chance to breathe before having to speak publicly.

The grey-haired Mayor smiled lightly at the zealous photographers as he held the two scantily clad showgirls close to him. It wasn't like he was attracted to them that much. It was just instinct after so many public appearances as the Mayor of Las Vegas. This time, however, he hung on to them a little tighter than normal. The weakened Mayor needed the physical support. He still felt wobbly.

The Mayor had to agree if anyone asked, that that had to have been the world's most thrilling car ride since he was 23 years old and owned a candy apple red Deuce Coup. He sighed deeply as those glorious memories flooded him. In pure reminiscent thought, he leaned even harder against KITT.

KITT noticed the mayor's unsteady nature and worried a bit about the older gentleman's well being. He tentatively scanned the now nearly limp form seeking KITT out for support. He found the grey-haired mayor to be severely shaken with unusually high blood pressure. Other than that, the mayor was physically sound. KITT dismissed his worry and focused solely on his shocked and smiling driver.

Mike was doing his level best to become a wallflower while fans screamed "Justin" in the middle of a blue tinted haze of burnt rubber. He was failing miserably. It didn't help that the pink shirted "Justin's Girls" were screaming his name in unison. Even though Mike was not Justin, he was becoming accustomed to the odd nickname. He smiled shyly and waved at the ecstatic group of young girls. That earned him high-pitched squeals of delight.

A beautiful but ominous 5'9" tall brunette with a tight braid reaching down to her middle back cautiously stalked Mike. She wore a male Navy blue dress suit that was adorned with a gold-plated aluminum security badge that closely resembled a police officer's registration. It bore in bold black uppercase text, CAST. The dark suited female used her years of military training to scan the crowds for a possible threat while keeping a diligent eye on her main reason for attending this mayhem, Justin.

A suspicious form slinked among the crowds of joyous revelers. He was clothed from head to toe in Midnight Black. He also sported a long black leather trench coat. This was odd because even though it was dark outside right now, the weather was unseasonably warm. It did not justify such a drastic covering. He menacingly slid to the front of the crowd and leaned over the yellow barrier. With a leather gloved hand, he reached deep into his black cloak.

Lieutenant Theresa Cast leapt into action while simultaneously calling for backup. Her long fingers wrapped adeptly around the only weapon her officers and her were legally allowed to carry in public. The compact black tazer slid easily from its leather holster on her right hip. She covered the distance between the possible assailant and herself faster than a shark that had smelled blood in the water.

At a distance of 3', Lieutenant Cast took up a direct offensive position with the charged and armed tazer held levelly at his slim chest. She barked loudly and firmly, "Hands up and away from your body! This is your only warning."

The previously happy crowd panicked as they spotted the danger. A millisecond of silence was followed by instant shrieks of fear and a stampede of shoving.

The trench coated villain used the panicked crowd to his advantage. He quickly slipped backward a few paces without turning or removing his glare on Officer Cast. He then vanished into the rapidly moving wall of frightened people.

Theresa cursed softly under her breath and holstered her tazer as she spotted her rushing backup arrive a little too late. She motioned to her burly guards to disperse among the still panicked audience as she called out a brief description into her handheld radio.

The dark haired promoter hadn't ever foreseen such a disastrous event occurring. This was supposed to be a charitable event of fun. Now it was pure chaos.

Mike prepared for action the moment he spotted the dark suited female draw her weapon and dart across the clearing at the speed of a gazelle. His dark eyes trailed over her glare and locked onto her target.

Mike spotted the black leathered assailant just as he stepped backward and melded into the rushing mob. He checked his earwig and pursued the suspect. "KITT, do you have a visual on a 6'2", 200 pound male dressed all in black, and wearing an ankle length trench coat?" Mike asked hurriedly as he tried to track the fast moving figure in the distance.

KITT easily gained access to the plethora of security cameras lined up on Fremont St. He sped through each camera individually until he located the camera that had a perfect angle of view. "Michael, he is entering the Corsica Casino. I still possess the security codes from that casino. Accessing camera feeds." KITT said calmly as he bypassed the Surveillance Dept. live camera feeds.

The dark haired promoter was nearly crying at the unfolding events. He had spent a year putting together this wondrous gathering. Now his dream event was a horrendous disaster. He dryly swallowed the gargantuan lump in his throat and gripped the pitch black microphone tightly within his sweaty palms.

Suddenly, like a stingray that had just been stepped on, he was stuck with a brilliant plot. The dark haired promoter's deep black eyes glistened with the formation of his devious plan. His tense stressed out body visibly relaxed. "Ladies and Gentlemen?!" he called out as loud as his booming voice accompanied by the massive sound system would allow. "Please calm down. It is all part of the show. You are not in danger." He called out reassuringly.

Meanwhile inside the Corsica Casino, Mike was gingerly dodging through countless rows of brightly lit slot machines. Along with KITT's constant assistance through the earwig, he was gaining ground on the suspicious male. "Michael, the suspect has entered the Lime Green wash room located beside the Gift Shop. I advise entering with caution. There is no surveillance cameras located within that area. I cannot predict what awaits you." KITT advised in a slightly worried tone.

"KITT, I need options." Mike asked tensely as he approached the bright green wash room.

"You could storm into the unknown situation and face the threat head on." KITT offered sourly. He hated that option.

"You could wait for the suspect to exit the wash room on his own." KITT groaned. He preferred a quicker resolution.

"Or, you could draw him out of the wash room and then apprehend him." KITT offered in his most pleasing tone.

Mike quickly decided on the latter to be the best solution possible. But what would cause a man such discomfort that he would prefer capture over the relative safety of the wash room. "KITT, what do you suggest we use to flush him out?"

"I suggest we do just that." KITT said in a sarcastically evil tone.

Mike's face changed from instant confusion to a sly broad smile. Was KITT thinking what he thought KITT was thinking? "KITT, can you do that?"

"The automatic flushing mechanism is not an integrated system like the security cameras. However, the systems can be overridden by my microjammer." KITT spoke evenly. Then his voice continued the sarcastically evil tone. "I have total control over the toilets."

Mike busted up laughing. His dark brown eyes took on a sparkle as he answered, "KITT, activate the toilets."

"Activating flushing systems." KITT almost giggled.

Mike tried his level best to suppress his laughter but lost. A snorted chuckle managed to escape. It was met by a plethora of questioning expressions from the arriving security posse.

Mike stowed his wide smile and snicker as he blocked the only entrance/exit of the lime green tile wash room. He quickly briefed the ever-growing presence of security personnel. He was careful to hold back any information about KITT and his involvement with the waste management system. During his lecture, Mike never wavered from blocking the gaping entrance of the occupied wash room.

Suddenly, Mike had a real hard time maintaining his stone cold expression. Like fans at a popular baseball game doing the wave, Mike heard the ever-familiar Ker-Sploosh of air pressured toilets flushing one-by-one. Soon, the gathered sound became a roar as they continued to fill with water.

Mike jumped with a start and lashed out to his right when suddenly, a strong hand clasped his shoulder unexpectedly. He swung around with wide startled eyes and once again recognized Lieutenant T. Cast. "Don't ever do that." Mike growled deeply.

Theresa gave him an indifferent glance. Then she attempted to pull him off to the side. She had no need to enter the wash room. She wanted a private conference with this actor about his involvement with the suspect. However, for some odd reason, he was diligently preventing her from moving him. Why had he such an interest? Why was he so good at tracking and thus confining the possible perpetrator? What was his vested interest?

Mike could see the softly tanned features of Lieutenant Cast change from an unemotional glance to a quizzical stare. As the strikingly beautiful guard took a step closer to him, Mike noticed a small stream of water lazily flow around his feet. He grudgingly decided to relocate to the thin red carpeting about 8' away from the flooding wash room. "Lieutenant Cast," he called her to from the safety of the carpet. "I can see that you are dying to debrief me." He smiled sweetly to her as she stalked over to him.

"Mr. Bruening," she addressed the actor firmly. "What is your involvement here?"

Mike continued his sweet innocent smile as he softly said, "I am Mike Traceur not Justin Bruening. You know that Ms. Cast."

Theresa swiped her hand over her throat giving him the cut-off sign. "Do not try to sell me the Brooklyn Bridge, mister. I am not buying it. Come clean now, Justin. I will find the truth. So, don't waste my time." She snapped cruelly.

Mike maintained his smile but now held it falsely. "I am clean." Then he feigned smelling his armpits. When he looked back at Cast's hateful glare, he laughed as he said, "Yep, still clean."

If her deadly glare could shoot lightening, he would have been long electrocuted and turning into a neat little pile of soot. She was done with this jerk. "I was hired by the casinos and the Festival promoter himself to protect you, Mister Bruening. Do you think that I wouldn't research your file? Do you possibly believe that I wouldn't know your physical features? Do you live in a dream world where I would have totally ignored your exit from the vehicle known as KITT?" She asked with a dry-ice cold expression that would have made a penguin shiver.

Before he could take in a breath to answer, Lieutenant Cast snapped, "No! You had better not answer 'yes' to any of those questions. You are not a fool. So don't pretend to be."

Mike stood in silence against the torrential rage coming from Lieutenant Cast. He knew that she had some steam to burn off, but he hadn't figured it to be this bad. He waited a full minute after her tirade, and then he taunted, "Are you done? Do you still need to vent a little more? I'll wait for you." He asked with a genuine smile.

Her icy glare turned deadly. Her lightly tanned cheeks turned red with fury. Her full lips pulled into a thin line as she bit hard on her tongue. She had more than a few choice words and comments to tear into him. Somehow, she managed to keep them suppressed.

"Michael, Lieutenant Cast's vitals portray her to be highly agitated. Why do you continue to taunt her?" KITT asked through the earwig.

Mike never bothered to answer him. Why would he? Lieutenant Cast was viciously staring him down and now would not be a good time to talk to himself.

Meanwhile outside on busy Fremont St…

"Welcome to the greatest event on Earth!" The dark haired promoter boldly announced. "What you have just witnessed is one of the many exciting events we have to offer you this action packed weekend. Be prepared for the most wonderful Knight Rider Festival of your lives!" He proudly boomed. "Now, may I introduce his honor, the Mayor of Las Vegas?"

The audience quickly re-gathered against the yellow railing. They had accepted the announcer's reasoning and even commented about how scared they all were. The smiles and applause returned easily.

After having regained his composure, the Mayor proudly took his spot center-stage and happily addressed the energized gathering. "May I welcome you to fabulous Las Vegas…"

At that moment inside the Corsica Casino, the action was about to heat up. Mike and Theresa were in a non-verbal standoff but that was not the issue.

A certain lime-green men's restroom was pouring water out of it's doorway by the gallon. Not only had KITT accessed the automatically flushing toilets, but he had also gained control over the automatic faucets and had them constantly flowing and flooding over the silver metal countertop. To add to the perpetrator's continued discomfort, KITT turned out the power. Even the Emergency Exit light was dark.

A shadowy figure darted out of the men's wash room at full speed. He flew so fast out of the green room that Mike almost didn't see him dart. Almost.

Mike pushed gently passed Theresa and took off in pursuit of the suspect in the black leather trench coat. They dashed down claustrophobic aisles of slot machines and through a divided-off room labeled, High Limits. "KITT, do you have a visual?" Mike asked in between breaths as he continued sprinting after his target.

"That is affirmative, Michael. If he continues on his current course, he will intersect with me in 1minute 45 seconds." KITT surmised as he displayed the action on his HUD.

"KITT, do not let him get passed you." Mike ordered gruffly.

"I would like to see him try to get passed me." KITT smugly joked into Mike's earwig.

Mike smiled slightly as he rounded a row of flat top poker machines on his way to a tall line of slots. The fast-footed suspect was weaving wildly row-to-row and knocking down chairs as he passed. When he could find one, the leather coated suspect would toss the metal trash cans into Mike's path, too.

The suspect's destructive nature was not limited to inanimate objects. He violently shoved people aside or into machines, purposefully knocked people down to the ground, and he wasn't selective about who he brutalized either. However, he did favor shoving the elderly onto the floor.

Even though he had a distinct disadvantage, Mike was quickly gaining ground on the frightened villain. Every inch he gained made him that much more determined in his pursuit.

When Mike saw the suspect make a straight-on dash for the double glass front doors, he yelled, "KITT, he's coming your way!"

KITT quickly fired up his powerful engine, tinted his windows to Limo Black, and calculated his non-lethal approached to this situation.

The suspect in the black leather trench coat headed straight for the only set of automatically opening doors. What he didn't know, was that KITT had taken control of the door opening mechanism. KITT purposefully held the automatic doors wide open as an invitingly easy exit. Once the fleeing fugitive was only 3 paces away from sure freedom, KITT triggered the glass doors to close.

Like a very cruel prank working perfectly, the black coated assailant ran full speed into the closed glass doors. He bounced off of the unforgiving barrier with a resonating thud. The startled suspect fell unceremoniously to the tiled floor.

Mike used that moment to try to capture the sprawled out figure. He leapt out at the fugitive in the black trench coat as he dizzily attempted to stand up. The suspect quickly rolled away from Mike as he began to push against one of the glass doors.

With only two fingers, Mike latched onto the thin leather trench coat. As Mike struggled for a tighter grip on the soft leather, the sly villain managed to shoulder out of his cloak as he dashed out the glass doors onto the busy pedestrian walkway.

Mike softly cursed under his breath as he dropped the discarded leather coat and shoved his way out of the glass doors.

KITT was far from idle at that moment. He calculated the fleeing male's trajectory and plotted a path to intersect with him.

As Mike ran out onto Fremont St, he called out, "KITT, where is he?"

At that moment, the villain was making a grave error in judgment. After violently shoving his way through the slowly milling mob, he hurdled over the barrier and right into KITT's pathway.

"Michael, the suspect is 4' in front of me and approaching rapidly. May I apprehend him?" KITT asked smugly.

"Be my guest." Mike panted as he weaved in and out of the shocked partiers.

The Mayor was concluding his speech to the awaiting audience, when the commotion from the back of the audience interrupted him. His jaw dropped as he watched a man dressed all in black leap over the yellow blockade and run full blast toward the stage.

KITT gunned his engine hard. This should have caused a pause in the fleeing fugitive. However, the fleeing suspect was hyped up on his own adrenaline and not thinking clearly. Just as the villain was even with KITT's front bumper, KITT swung open his passenger's side door. The already dazed suspect slammed hard into KITT's nano-skin covered door. He stumbled backward about 3 steps and fell hard onto his rear end.

"Nice Job, KITT." Mike yelled as he cleared the yellow barrier.

The criminal jumped back onto his feet and he was summarily slammed by the unrelenting shiny door again. This time, he was prepared and pushed off of KITT.

The audience screamed in delight and applauded as KITT whacked the suspect the second time. They began chanting his name in unison, again.

The frightened suspect tried to circle behind the black Mustang, but KITT threw it into Reverse and matched the pace of the suspect foot-for-foot. He literally became a moving wall. When the suspect tried running to the front of KITT, he met the same fate as KITT threw it in 2nd gear and matched his pace again.

The dark haired promoter quietly slipped the black microphone out of the grey haired Mayor's weakening grip. He then loudly joined the chanting crowd, "KITT! KITT! KITT!"

"KITT, Halt!" Mike yelled as he grabbed the suspect by his shoulders, whipped him around, and slammed his back hard into KITT's passenger door.

The terrified suspect struggled hard against Mike's strong hold. Somehow, he managed to free up his right leg enough to swipe Mike off his feet. Then he took off running toward the cheering audience.

The enthralled crowd let out a massive cheer as Michael Knight nailed the suspect. They couldn't get enough of this well-played stunt. Nearly ¾ of them were trying to videotape it while they were screaming at the top of their lungs. Suddenly, they all deeply booed as the suspect managed to free himself.

KITT gunned his massive engine and whipped around the fleeing fugitive. He slammed on the gas and shot ahead of the suspect in black. Then he jammed down on the brakes while he cranked the wheel. He slid sideways toward the crowd as the startled suspect ran full speed into KITT's side.

This time Mike was ready. He ran full speed at the dazed suspect and body slammed him into KITT. With the strength unknown to normal men, Mike yanked the fugitive down to the unforgiving concrete. "Stay down!" he growled into the suspect's ear.

As if in a sigh of relief, the suspect suddenly stopped fighting. He just seemed to relax into Mike's Hulk Hogan like grip.

Lieutenant Cast had been ordered through her radio to hold back and keep her guards back until the suspect was under full control. She was not to interfere. So she ordered her men to stay back and wait. There were a couple of times where she really wanted to join the fight and it was difficult for her not to. Finally when she saw Justin had the suspect in an inescapable hold flat on the ground, she and only one other guard helped Mike onto his feet and handcuffed the suspect.

The enthusiastic crowd let out a huge roar as Mike stood up and helped lift the obviously exhausted fugitive onto his feet. They were screaming, yelling, chanting, clapping, and just plain smiling as a show of pure glee.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The dark haired promoter loudly announced. "Give it up for Justin Bruening!"

The already jubilant crowd screamed and clapped louder.

Then the dark haired promoter announced KITT. "Now give me more for KITT!"

That is when the gathered crowd of over-excited fans began their KITT chant again. It lasted until the announcer finally stopped his end of the chant.

As the crowd roared for Justin when his named was called, he turned around, smiled, and waved. Yes, it wasn't his name but it might as well have been. He couldn't get away from it. He then turned to follow Lieutenant Cast and her guards as they led the man in black away to the local jail.

The dark haired promoter's tiny apprentice was almost too late. She had been ordered to escort Justin to the stage. Now he was heading off toward the back with the security personnel. She darted at full speed to him and latched a dainty hand onto his masculine arm. "Hi Justin, I'm Jessica." She smiled sweetly as she spoke. "I've been sent to make sure that you don't get lost." She said as she turned him around and latched elbows with him.

"And where are you taking me?" he asked with a huge smile as she led him alongside her.

"Why…Onstage of course."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I am soooo sorry that this Chapter took so long to post. I have had a busy couple of weeks and also received an Awesome book in the mail that I was expecting. It was written by Sayagirl1…it is called Claire.

I truly enjoyed it!

I really did.

Anyway,

Thank You to the following people for your wonderful reviews! I am soooo grateful to you all for them…You keep me excited about continuing this storyline.

_BuckleWinner,Gromia,Spidey2,Whitedino,Alex Joleta,annependragon,tropicalangell, and Rainack!_

I hope you enjoyed this Chapter. I know it didn't have the over-the-top hilarity but I needed a good action scene. Hopefully, that worked.

Please let me know what you thought…and as always,

Enjoy!


	9. Center Stage

Center Stage

Mike stopped dead in his tracks. "Not another one of those." He grumbled.

Jessica pulled slightly ahead of Mike and coaxed him. "Come on it's not that bad." She softly spoke with a smile.

He looked down into her clear blue eyes and sarcastically added, "How about you go in my place?"

She gave him a quick grin that make her magnificent blue eyes glow. "But you are so cute that the audience would stone me to death for trying to take your place." She gave him a small tug to help get him mobile again, as she spoke.

Mike relented and allowed Jessica to lead him to the dreaded stage. He knew that sooner or later he would have to do this again. Plus, Jessica was as beautiful as she was smart.

"Everybody give it up for Justin Bruening as Michael Knight." The dark haired promoter proudly announced as Mike slowly climbed the wooden stairs attached to the back of the stage.

The excited audience once again let out a deafening uproar. They had come from near and far to catch the tiniest glimpse of him. Now, Justin was going to be standing center stage right in front of them.

Jessica led Justin onstage to the anxiously awaiting dark haired promoter. She hugged him tightly before disappearing into the milling crowd of stagehands hiding in the shadows. She would have preferred to keep her spot on Justin's elegantly strong arm. He was so handsome and sweet that she nearly swooned when he gladly accepted her company.

A clean cut teenage boy with short blond hair mysteriously appeared next to Mike. He softly tapped Mike's back and presented him with a pitch black handheld microphone. As soon as Mike grudgingly accepted the unwanted device the boy seemed to just disappear.

KITT could tell through Michael's elevated vital signs that he was in real discomfort. So he asked through the ever-present earwig, "Michael, would you like me to send out my ultrasonic sound wave once more?"

Mike locked his eyes on KITT's swishing red scanner and shook his head 'no'. This time, he figured, he would just suffer through it one more time and make everybody happy. Even though he had no idea what he was doing.

"Justin how about a speech?" The dark haired promoter excitedly asked as he stepped backward leaving Mike alone with just the bright lights and microphone.

Mike's mind froze faster than a Hawaiian orchid left out in an Alaskan winter. He couldn't think of a solitary thing to say. His mind was a pure blank, a clean slate.

KITT noticed Mike's trepidation and offered, "Would you like me to assist you with your public speaking?"

Mike nodded a light 'yes' in KITT's general direction while glaring into his hypnotic red scanner.

"Repeat after me in your own vernacular." KITT instructed. "Greetings everyone, I wish to thank you all for attending this event." Suddenly KITT paused. He decided not to overload Michael with too much information.

"Hi everyone. Wow, Thank you all for coming." Mike spoke in a more relaxed tone and even loosened up his death grip on the small microphone.

"It is delightful to see such a magnificent turnout for this event." KITT continued in his instruction.

"There sure are a lot of you out there. Thank You again for making it out here and showing your support for our show. I hope that you all are having as much fun here as KITT and I have. I have even met some of you personally." Mike said with an obvious wink to the squealing Justin's Girls. "And to the rest of you, I offer my biggest thanks and a huge thumb's up."

"Michael, I did not say that. I did not come near to using those statements." KITT grumbled into the earwig.

Mike rolled his eyes and smiled at KITT as he continued, "Hopefully, I will meet every one of you over the next two days. That way you will never forget this event for as long as you live. Thank You all again and have fun. I know I will." Mike waved as he closed his speech and then turned quickly to flee.

"My speech would have been better." KITT whined into the earwig.

Mike's flight lasted all of two steps. Another photo opportunity came up. This time, it was the dark haired promoter's turn to get a buddy-buddy shot with Mike.

After only about 5 pictures, the dark haired promoter allowed Mike the relief of hiding in the shadows. He wouldn't allow Mike to totally vacate the stage. He softly instructed Mike to patiently wait for the rest of the special guests to finish.

Little Jessica, the apprentice to the dark haired promoter, took up a close position next to Mike. However, Mike was not paying any attention to the world around him, anymore. The Sarah clone going by the name, Deanna, was giving a well-written heartfelt speech. It put his rushed "Thank You" to shame.

"Justin, here are your passes to the VIP Party. I picked up four of them for you. Who will you be bringing?" Jessica asked in a sweet tone as she extended a cluster of lanyards with plastic laminated cards attached to them in Mike's direction.

Mike wasn't paying Jessica any mind. He was thoroughly distracted by the intoxicating figure of the Sarah clone. She even stood like Sarah. If he wasn't positively sure that Sarah was at home at the SSC, he would swear on all that was holy that this magnificent beauty was his Sarah. Instead, he leaned heavily against the black temporary wall and enjoyed the awesome view.

"Justin?!" Jessica forcefully beckoned Mike back from his musings. She even backhanded his surprisingly muscular arm to coax him back to reality.

"Huh?!" Mike murmured softly as he slowly looked Jessica's way.

"Are you alright? You seem out of it." Jessica asked out of real concern.

"I'm fine." He scoffed as he quickly yanked the dangling party passes out of her outstretched dainty fingertips.

"You didn't answer my question." Jessica seductively added. "Who will you be taking to the VIP Party?" She re-asked as she slinked her elbow into a tight lock with his.

Mike nonchalantly glanced downward into Jessica's clear blue eyes. He had planned to turn down her obvious advances. The gorgeous Sarah clone had rekindled his devotion to his first love. But, Jessica was deviously giving Mike the sad puppy-dog eyes. The same sad puppy-dog eyes he had used on Sarah just that very morning. He couldn't resist that pathetic look any more than Sarah could. Finally, he just gave up.

Mike was just about to mouth the words of invitation to Jessica when his devious mind formed an ingenious idea. "How many of these passes can I get?" He asked Jessica as he held them up.

"As many as you want." She informed him sweetly. As she answered, she became suspicious of his sudden question. "Why?"

"I have seven new friends that would absolutely love to join us at this party and I want to invite them. Can you make that possible?" Mike kindly asked Jessica.

Jessica's heart sank a bit. She was hoping to go alone to the party with Justin proudly on her arm. She had never expected to go to the VIP event as a party of nine. She was already becoming possessive of him and he was barely even noticing her existence. "Okay, consider it done. Shall I deliver them for you?" She asked deviously as she plotted to accidentally forget to invite them, whoever they were.

"No, I want to invite them personally. They would enjoy it that much more, if I do it myself." Mike added thoughtfully.

Deanna Russo had long given up her time in the spotlight to a man going by the name of Paul Campbell. Mike dropped his jaw when he finally noticed the newcomer. By Gosh, it was Billy! The Billy clone was hilarious. He sang a song about Alex Torres and KitKats as he used the whole stage to mime out the lyrics.

The enthralled audience couldn't stop laughing their heads off. They loved Paul Campbell. Once they had heard the chorus of the upbeat song a couple times, they all joined in.

"KitKat's can't talk…KitKat's can't drive…but KitKat's sure can…pack a punch!"

The whole Fremont St. Experience resonated of the lyrics as the audience joined into the song.

Mike busted up laughing from his quiet spot in the background. He sure hoped that KITT was recording this wonderfully funny song and dance as Billy continued in his over-the-top antics. It so reminded him of the real Billy back at home.

Mike wouldn't doubt it, if Billy claimed to have already written this song. Mike smiled huge and clapped along with the beat of the hilariously funny tune. He even had to control himself not to sing along with Billy and the audience when it was time for the chorus.

As soon as Paul Campbell finished up and stepped into the background with Mike, the dark haired promoter took on an honestly sincere tone and introduced a man named Larson, Glen Larson. Mike could visibly tell that the dark haired promoter loved and revered this Larson guy. It took a few more respectfully placed lines of worship until Mike figured out why. According to the dark haired promoter, Glen Larson thought up and created Knight Rider.

This was HUGE to Mike. This was the very man that everyone said created Michael Knight. This was the very man that had been claimed to have thought up his father into existence and thusly allowed him to exist. That is, if Mike was to believe all this mumbo jumbo about a TV show starring him.

Somehow, though he fought it tirelessly, deep down inside, Mike felt a great deal of respect for the graying man now standing center stage. He had an inborn need to shake the man's wrinkled hand and voice the words, "Thank You" into the elderly man's ear. For now, Mike just stood in silent awe and reflection.

Glen Larson was the last of the Special Guest appearances for now. The dark haired promoter gathered all of the available celebrities together into the spotlight center stage. He had them all hold hands together in one long chain. Then, they all bowed deeply at the enthusiastically ruckus crowd of fans.

Mike ended up holding the soft hand of the Sarah clone in his left hand. On his right, he could only catch the thumb of the Billy clone as he bounced over to his spot. Mike felt kind of uncomfortable standing amongst the clones but he decided to just accept the circumstances at the moment. Everyone was having a great time, including himself. So why should he ruin it now with uncomfortable doubt?

Mike was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't see everyone filing down the black wooden staircase in the back. It took the gentle hands of Jessica to snap him back to reality. "Hey Justin, I know that you like to be the center of attention, but would you like to go to the party now? Or, would you prefer to stay on the stage in the dark?"

Mike smiled sweetly at the tiny blonde apprentice. "Nah, let's go to the party." He jovially added as he clasped her hand.

As Mike and Jessica passed by the crowd on the way to the crowded casino party, Mike turned to Jessica and asked, "Do you still have those extra passes to the VIP Party?"

Jessica reluctantly handed over the extra party passes Mike had ordered. She now knew what he had planned for those hot commodities and she whimpered on the inside. However on the outside, Jessica was all smiles.

"You have all been invited by me to be my Special Guests at the party. I do hope you accept." Mike said as he easily pulled open the yellow blockade in front of the swooning 'Justin's Girls' and waved for them to join him. As they passed through the opening, Mike joyfully handed each of them a VIP pass to enter the party.

The 'Justin's Girls' had been truly enjoying the whole experience. They loved all of the celebrities that stood onstage but did hold all of their joyous screams and applause for Justin. They grew giddy when he had to walk passed them to get to the party. In pure happiness, they reached out when he paused in front of them. They nearly died from loss of breath when he invited them to join him.

Of Course, they accepted his offer! Each girl gave him a tender kiss on the cheek as they passed through the open barrier and accepted their humbly offered party passes. All, except Britney. Britney squealed with delight and flung herself at him, again. She landed so hard against him that she made him stumble backward a couple of steps. Then, she buried her sweet face deep into his muscular chest.

Mike sighed softly but happily as he tried, once again, to pry Britney off. He knew that her enthusiasm always got the best of her but sometimes he did like her strong hold of affection. Right now would be one of those times, but he had other plans. So, he carefully pried her off. "I'm sorry Britney, but we have to go. So, come on now, let go."

Britney loosened up her hold a bit but never fully let her Justin go. She wasn't ready to let him go yet. "Can't we just walk together like this?" She sweetly begged as she batted her green eyes at him.

"No, now come on we have to go." Mike added a little sternly as he finally released himself from her needing embrace.

Just like Jessica had done only minutes before her, Britney whimpered as Justin stepped away from her. However, she knew that she had a whole evening to worm her way back into his warm embrace. She smiled slyly as an evil plan began to from.

"Michael, where are you going?" KITT asked sadly.

Mike instructed the girls to go ahead of him to the party. He feigned having forgotten something in the car. Then he lightly jogged over to KITT and slid comfortably into the driver's seat as KITT closed the door firmly. "KITT, I have been invited to a party and I intend to go." Mike informed him with a huge smile as he brandished his VIP badge to KITT.

"Do you think Sarah will approve of you partying with so many beautiful girls?" KITT asked accusingly.

"KITT, are you channeling my mom, because you sound so much like her." Mike said irritably. "We are on vacation. Vacation means fun. I intend to have as much fun as possible. If it means hanging out at a party with a gang of beautiful girls, then I am game." Mike added with a huge innocent smile. "Loosen up, KITT. You should have some fun, too."

"Loosen up? Fun? What do you intend for me to do while you loosen up?" KITT asked sourly.

Mike cheerfully opened the door and then said, "Whatever you do, make sure I'm not the one who gets the blame, okay?" Then he took off after the pink shirted "Justin's Girls'.

KITT glowered at Mike as he watched his excited driver wrap his arms around the shoulders of two of the 'Justin's Girls' as they happily entered the disco ball lighted bar that hosted the VIP Party. What was KITT to do while Mike was out having a good time?

Should he run a self diagnostic?

Should he catalog all their recent missions?

Should he run probability reports on the likelihood of getting kissed again?

Should he just sit and wait patiently for Mike to return?

None of this sounded like what a super fast, incredibly smart AI should be doing while on so-called vacation.

So, KITT scanned the nearby area for options. That is when he saw him. When, he first laid his scanners on him since their original arrival on Fremont St.

KITT's insides went cold, again. He froze with intense fear at just seeing that horrid monstrosity. Even though it was a replica, it brought forth horrifically clear and painful memories. Memories, KITT hoped to have long buried in that dusty Nevada desert.

Yes, KITT spotted the demon known as KARR. The vicious Mustang GT500KR stood only 8' away from him and was still repeating that ugly phrase, "KITT MUST DIE."

KITT decided that it would be best for his sanity if he would just relocate away from the degenerate known as KARR. As KITT scanned the area for a better spot to park, a viciously devious plot jumped into his processor.

He happily scanned the nearly accurate Mustang KARR replica. He needed to know if his plan was feasible. KITT was rewarded with all positive signs. He could do it. So, KITT immediately went to work.

KITT easily connected up with the KARR replica's pre-recorded sound system and downloaded a few files. He then mashed up the other sound files and encrypted the "KITT MUST DIE" file with a 32 number and letter encryption code.

Now, somewhere on Fremont St. sat a Mustang KARR replica that sang,

"I'm a little teapot short and stout…."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: OMG, that is funny! Okay, he is not going to stop with just that song either. 

Two Chapters is as many days…Wow! Don't expect this all the time, but I do plan on staying on track with a once a week theme. That is about as much time as I have to write and then pick-and-peck this out.

I hope everyone had a blast with this one!

Thank you all for your positive reviews!

As Always,

Enjoy!


	10. Singing With KARR and Partying With Mike

**Singing With KARR and Partying with Mike**

The ear piercing rumble of the upbeat music coming from the VIP Party encouraged even the shyest of partiers to dance. The intoxicating beat was a lively mash-up of techno and pop.

Mike happily accepted a free beer from the dark haired promoter. The ice cold foam tickled his lip as he enjoyed his first beer since his vacation started. It was so cold it almost seemed to feel like it was burning all the way down. Mike lightly smiled in relaxation as he downed another chilly slug of his golden drink.

As if someone had opened the floodgates and announced that Mike was passing out free money, Mike was quickly swarmed and involuntarily herded up against a golden railing on the bar's balcony. The over-enthusiastic fans all spoke over each other and vied uncontrollably for Mike's personal attention.

At first, Mike's mind went into overload. There was just too many people, talking too loud, and all at the same time. Mike had to rein this craziness in. It was already way too out of hand, "Hey!" he hollered at the top of his lungs while he waved his free hand through the air. "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!"

A few of the more excited partiers continued on their loud vocal prodding for Mike's attention. The rest had settled the moment that they had realized that their enthusiasm had made Mike uncomfortable. However, one circumstance didn't change; Mike was still walled in and pressed hard against the shiny metal balcony railing.

As if she knew about Mike's uncomfortable situation, Lieutenant Theresa Cast appeared out of the back of the pushing mob and firmly ordered, "Disperse! This crowd is too large and is a danger to public safety as well as Mr. Bruening's safety. I cannot allow it. So MOVE!"

The once-enthusiastic revelers angrily glared at the female in the Navy blue male formal dress-suit. Most of them began to reluctantly walk off. However, a few decided to try their luck at defying Lieutenant Cast's firm order. They solidly held their positions while staring her down confrontationally.

Theresa violently maneuvered her way through the leftover fanatics and took up a position right up against Justin's left side. If she was going to have to enforce her authority as a hired bodyguard to Justin Bruening, she needed to be in the most optimum position to do so. Once Theresa felt like she was in the best spot to do so, she turned to the defiant stragglers and growled, "You do not want to take me on."

Mike didn't want any problems. He was here to have fun. So he took that moment to quietly slip away to his right. He snaked through the unobservant crowd and took up a leftover wooden barstool. The bar was still packed full, but Mike was somehow able to find that stool and pull up against the dark wooden bar.

"Justin?" asked a sweet voice over his shoulder.

Mike instantly recognized the magnificent voice of his beautiful lover. His first reaction was to wrap his arms around her blindly and bring her in close to him. As soon as that urge came to him, he had to sadly suppress it. It was hard for him to keep in mind that this was a clone and not his Sarah.

Mike's mouth went dry and his body went numb as he finally made eye-contact with the Sarah clone. He instinctively licked his chapped lips and whispered, "Hi".

Deanna could instantly tell by the sparkle in Justin's eyes that this wasn't Justin Bruening. This Justin's soul was different. His presence just didn't feel right. It wasn't evil or anything. It just wasn't Justin. "Hey Justin, having fun?"

Mike's arms longed to pull the Sarah clone close to him and his lips wanted nothing more than to gently meet hers. He had to get out of there. He quickly shoved his empty beer glass away and stood up to leave. "Having a blast." He softly whispered as he fled before he could see her reaction.

"Yeah, that was definitely not Justin." Sarah thought as she stole his seat.

KITT smiled ruefully as he listened to the dark voice of KARR sing, "I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed." Not only was KARR singing beautifully, but he was also gathering a curious crowd of children and adults who couldn't actually get enough of KARR's singing. To add to KITT's glow of joy, the younger children began to join the KARR replica's musical talents.

"Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you." KARR began a new song. This one was from the movie The King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein. His deep tones sounded almost seductive and inviting.

The instant that the happily gathered audience recognized the musical number, they joyfully joined in. Soon the gathered numbers inflated from about 20 people to around 200 or more. They were either singing along with KARR or video recording his marvelously deep voice serenading the shocked crowd.

KITT was only mildly entertained at first, but as the size of the crowd ballooned and as the decibel level of them singing approached deafening, KITT truly enjoyed being in the company of such an accomplished singer.

"Our MasterKey friends couldn't make it due to some pressing developments. But that doesn't mean that they couldn't be here in video. I would proudly and humbly like to present an awesome video that they have done just for this occasion." The dark haired promoter proudly announced from an impromptu wooden stage.

As soon as the dark haired promoter wrapped up his introduction, the already dim houselights turned completely off. Then all the scattered televisions in the bar flickered. Within a second, they all presented the yellow icon of the MasterKey Company. Everyone inside the packed bar quieted in anticipation.

Loud techno music began to reverberate through the surround sound system as pictures from Mike's life began to flash on the blue glowed screens. Mike had taken a seat on an overstuffed black leather couch in the Lounge area when he ran away from the gorgeous Sarah clone. He was quickly accompanied by three of the Justin's Girls. He was happily nursing another beer while listening to the Justin's Girls talk about themselves. Mike was comfortable and happy. Then he caught his first sights of the widely played video.

The bright video screens began to flash headshots of all of the major players in Mike's life: Alex, Dr. Graiman, Zoe, Billy, Carrie, KITT, KARR, and even Sarah.

Mike leapt up from his comfortable spot on the soft leather couch in shock. He elbowed his way up to the dark Mahogany bar. He needed a closer view of the 'This is Your Life' video. Mike absently pulled up an extra barstool and leaned heavily against the dark wood of the bar. Everything around him just seemed to disappear as Mike developed a shocked version of tunnel vision. "KITT, are you recording this?" Mike finally asked in a choked whisper.

KITT hadn't been concentrating on Mike. He was still thoroughly enjoying KARR's vocal performance. KARR could actually become an accomplished singer with his deep tones and perfect timing. KARR had just begun singing his ABC's when Michael interrupted KITT's fun. He lightly changed his focus and answered, "No Michael, I am not."

Mike held his golden beer up to his lips and whispered, "If you can patch into the video feed, please record this for me."

KITT easily hacked into the bar's low tech computer and located the much-wanted video. The highly inexpensive PC in the manager's office was not very secure. It was only protected by a 5 digit code and it was 1…2…3…4…5. KITT laughed internally at the bar owner's creative coding and then accessed the video.

The way the video was stored made it impossible for KITT to blindly download and record the MasterKey video. So, he had to wait until the recoding was played in its entirety and then he would have to play it again.

Mike sat in shock as he watched the MasterKey video. It showed mostly the action scenes of KITT and him. He saw the wild flipping Turbo Boost he had KITT perform to evade his pursuers and smiled as he remembered KITT's scream. He saw the massive explosion of the abandoned sugar mill that Carrie was nearly killed in. He saw the wild moment where he had taken on a big rig backwards to slow it down. He watched in shock as they showed all of the transformations KITT could perform on a whim: Truck, Attack Mode, Ford Flex, Pink Mustang, and even Eleanor. All of it played with a wild musical collection of Techno-pop. Mike was glued to the television screen. Nothing could distract him now.

KITT began to watch the video out of curiosity. He was going to see it again so he had no real need to watch it now. But now that he had been distracted from his KARR watching, he had nothing better to do. He was shocked. It was like someone had downloaded his memory files and played them for everyone to see. They even added a sound bite, "KITT, initiate Beer Run Program." KITT felt violated. Only Himself, Sarah and Michael were on that beach. Only they knew about that moment. How could they have played it onscreen like that?

KITT felt the distinct urge to just accidentally lose the video feed. Send it into oblivion. But that was not his decision. Not his choice. Instead, he just watched this severe defiling of his privacy waiting for it to end so he could record it in its entirety.

A soft arm gently wrapped around Mike's waist. He jumped with a start before he recognized the dark form of Brittney. He then carefully removed her arm and turned back to the television. "Not now." He spoke as he stared intently at the presentation.

Brittney had seen Justin leave the crowded couch for the bar. She knew that this was her chance to get some alone time with the cute actor. She had been planning on this since they had entered the bar together. She knew that this was her chance. "Come on, Justin, just a kiss?" She whispered seductively into his ear.

"Could this girl have chosen the worst time to make her move?" Mike asked himself as he continued to soak in the live video feed. He wasn't going to stop watching this for her. He needed to know why? Why did they have all this footage? Why did they show it to the world? Why show the cruel footage of the lost members of the SSC? Why?

Brittney wasn't put off by a little brush off. She had had much worse done to her before. She leaned in close to Justin and softly blew into his ear.

It couldn't have had a worse reaction. Mike was so lost in the video he had forgotten that she was there. When she blew into his ear, he automatically flicked his hand across his ear and smacked her straight in the face. He was startled when he felt the back of his hand connect with something. Something soft and wet. He quickly whirled around to see what he had hit.

Brittney let out a shocked cry when Justin smacked her hard in the face. She fell backwards slightly and was caught by a woman who was standing by watching the video. She softly rubbed her tiny nose checking for blood and soreness as tears began to flow. She began to berate herself for being dumb as she let herself cry a little.

Mike quickly leapt up from his wooden barstool and began profusely apologizing to the crying and shaking frame of Brittney. He didn't see her back there. He had no idea that she was there. He didn't mean to hit her. Mike was just beside himself that he had done that. He carefully placed his hand on her back and guided her onto his wooden barstool. Then, he took up a nearby pile of napkins and dumped some ice into them. Mike carefully placed the napkin-wrapped icepack in her shaking hand and then lifted it so as she would have it holding close to her nose. "I am so sorry." He whispered gently as he watched her flinch against the chill of the ice pressed against her face.

Brittney wanted one-on-one time with Justin. Now she was getting it. Even though her nose hurt and most of her face was covered by the white paper napkins, she was swooning over his doting attention to her needs. Her tears soon dried up and were then replaced by a wide smile of affection. He was there for her and only her. She let out a soft sigh of contentment when he gave her a soft reassuring hug.

Mike could tell that Brittney was feeling better. She had stopped crying and shaking. He still felt slightly guilty about backhanding her so hard. So he apologized once more and gave her a light hug. He hadn't expected what was coming next.

Brittney seized her opportunity. She jumped out of the wooden barstool and flung herself at Justin. She dropped the impromptu ice pack and wrapped her arms around Justin. She then planted her lips hard against his. Brittney had wanted to do this all day.

Mike had no time to avoid the sudden burst of Brittney that came his way. He couldn't dodge or duck or even flinch before she was all over him like spines on a cactus. He didn't even know what was happening before he found himself lip locked with the hyper-blonde. He couldn't say that he didn't like it. But he also couldn't say that he wanted it, either.

It took some strength both physically and mentally to pry Brittney off this time. But Mike managed to get her at arm's length again. He wanted to ask her a thousand questions of Why she did what she did but he could not form the words. He just stared into her lipid blue eyes. Then, he sat her down in his stool and picked up her dropped ice pack. Mike handed the girl her ice pack and then slowly turned and shuffled away.

Brittney knew that she had just violated some code of conduct but this was her chance, her chance to make a lasting impression on Justin Bruening. She knew that when he sat her down that she was not to jump up and do it again. She knew that she was to wait for him to say something. She knew that he had to have felt something. But he said nothing. _Nothing_. How could that be? Nothing? Brittney just stared distantly into her ice pack as it sank in.

The MasterKey video ended with a To Be Continued climax. Then it advertised a need for a Season 2 and a petition put on the Internet to save Knight Rider. KITT found all of this rather confusing. Season 2? Save Knight Rider? What in the world was all of this? He just shook his virtual head and prepared to replay the video for recording.

KITT set the speed of the playback to its fastest setting and then sent the feed straight to his HUD. He then played and recorded the unnerving video in full for posterity. He knew that he would be keeping this that was for sure. Now, KITT had to figure out if he would show it to Sarah and the crew or would Mike and he keep this little tidbit to themselves?

Mike purchased another beer on the opposite side of the bar. He needed it. This party was driving him mad. The numbing effect of the alcohol was the only thing keeping him at the party and that was wearing off. At least, he thought it was wearing off. In actuality, if he had been in top form, he would have noticed that he was being watched. That someone was taking a distinct interest in his every movement. However, he was completely oblivious to the tall brunette hovering protectively in the background.

Lieutenant Cast was not shirking on any of her duties as bodyguard to Justin Bruening. She had taken this assignment seriously and that was how this night was going to end for her too. She was to escort him to his defined room after the party and secure him for the evening before she would find any rest for herself. She watched him intently from the shadows while keeping a trained eye out for any potential hazards coming his way.

Justin had been a hard charge to follow and protect. Theresa had had one heck of a time keeping him out of trouble. He seemed to look for it almost. She still wanted to know where he got the tracking skills and capturing techniques from. He handled that possible assailant earlier with ease. That kind of ease came from training. Training, that Theresa had been told, he didn't have. It was not a matter to concern herself with, anyway. She would protect him even if she really didn't need to. Then, Lieutenant Theresa Cast smiled slightly only slightly and then it was gone.

KITT finished up the video recording and then checked up on Mike. He had decided that Mike didn't need constant surveillance while at the party. There was no perceived threat there and so he didn't need to as Mike had put it once, "Watch over him like a mother hen." KITT found Mike back on the over-stuffed black leather couch enjoying another cold beer and the company of about 4 girls. They were just talking and laughing. KITT relaxed. Mike was fine and just having a good vacation.

KITT refocused his attention on KARR. He had been distracted from KARR long enough to miss the owners of the replica arrive. He had missed how they had freaked out when they found out the crowd was gathering and singing around their KARR. He had missed how they tried tirelessly to shut down the smooth sounds of KARR's voice singing another children's ballad.

KITT watched in sadness as the two males dislocated the battery cables from the battery block. He hadn't wanted to have that effect on KARR. To KITT, it was like The Foundation shutting down the original KARR way back in the 80's. He knew that that had to be hard on KARR and that is why KARR had sought out revenge. Why KARR had wanted to kill. Then they shut down the Mustang KARR after its 7 person killing spree. And to add to the disgruntled nature of KARR, they tore him away from his designated driver. KITT felt a bit guilty now. They had shut down the KARR replica, sending it into quiet oblivion.

Now KITT understood why an extremely smart, fast AI didn't take vacations.

About 4 hours later, the VIP Party was winding down. There were still a few diehards hanging out but it was pretty much over. Mike could tell that he was buzzed but he didn't care. It was fun. After the initial craziness, everyone had settled down and just mingled around and had a great time.

Mike had enjoyed the whole party but now he sought out KITT. He hadn't planned on crashing in a room. Not when KITT's driver's seat could serve the same purpose. He stumbled down the stairs in search of KITT. "KITT, where are you?" He called out not caring who heard him.

"Michael, I am where you left me. Proceed 30 paces straight ahead and you will walk into me." KITT informed him with a bit of an annoyed tone.

Mike took a couple of wobbly steps out of the bar and out onto Fremont St. He could only see the bright glow of the neon lights and the glaring white lights from the Experience blinding his fuzzy vision. "Where KITT?" he mumbled as he reached out a questioning hand like KITT would just be right there just out of reach.

KITT grumbled incoherently as he realized that there was no way that Michael was going to make it on his own. He quickly powered up his engine and prepared to force his way over to Michael. He never had the chance.

Lieutenant Theresa Cast saw that Justin was in no condition to wonder alone on the streets of Las Vegas. She quickly slid up onto Justin's side and then locked arms with him. "Come on Justin, I'll take you to your room." She whispered reassuringly.

"KITT is that you?" Mike asked as he accepted the assistance. "You are not using that 'girlie' voice again, are you?"

Theresa gave him an odd look but continued to guide him over to the Corsica Casino. She knew his room number and was even given a room key. She would never violate his privacy but if she needed fast access, she had it. "No Justin, this is my voice." She informed him.

KITT was getting furious. Why was this guard leading Michael away? Where was she taking him? Would he just standby? For now, he was helpless. She hadn't threatened Michael, so he had no need for action. Instead, KITT ran a thorough background check on the interloper and just glared viciously at her as she continued to lead Michael away from him. Then he carefully patched into every available camera that had any usable view of Michael. KITT would definitely keep vigil over Michael just in case.

"Well KITT" Mike continued talking to his friend. "I had fun. I even got kissed today, too. Now, we are tied." He said while giving a huge belly laugh.

Theresa had to keep Justin calm as she escorted him into the hotel elevators. "Really? How nice." She lightly commented as she guided him inside the mirrored closet-like contraption.

"Nice!" Mike yelled. "No, it was wonderful!" Then he tore himself away from the hold he was in. "She kissed liked a goddess!" He yelled at his reflection in the mirror. "I loved every second of it." He whispered as he leaned in close to the mirror and then kissed his reflection deeply.

Theresa rolled her eyes as she watched Justin intimately kiss the once spotless mirror. She carefully pulled him away from the rest of the mirrors as the elevator approached the 15th floor. She was glad to be almost done with this one. As soon as the doors whisked open, Theresa led Justin down to the end of the long white corridor.

"KITT, where are we going?" Mike asked in a whining tone.

"We are going to your room." Theresa answered matter-of-factly as she upped the pace.

"How can you be inside here like this? Did Sarah turn you into a scooter?" He asked mockingly.

Theresa had seen a lot of drunks in her time but this one was topping weird meter. Why was he calling her KITT? And…a scooter? He was definitely out there. That's for sure.

Finally, they arrived at Justin's room and just in time. Theresa could see that he was just about to pass out cold. "Come on, stay with me. Just a few more feet." She called out encouragingly as she helped him walk through the massive suite into the bedroom.

As Theresa pushed him onto the overstuffed King Sized bed, Mike called out, "KITT, you can sleep here, okay?" Then, he gently patted the comforter next to him. Not a second later, he was soundly snoring in deep sleep.

Theresa quietly pulled the door to Justin's room closed and then whispered, "Actors" in a sarcastic tone as she headed for the elevator.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N- Okay, that was fun!

Some facts for you…..MasterKey never made a video presentation or even showed. That is what I imagined. I heard that they are swamped by a new project. You go guys! And Good Luck with it!

Of course, I do not own the right to the song Getting to Know You.

Nor do I own any rights to On Top Of Spaghetti I don't even know who does on this one.

Anyway, I hope that this Chapter was up to par…as always,

Enjoy!


	11. It's Got to Be the Morning After

It's Got to Be the Morning After

Mike softly stirred on the pink comforter of the massive King Size bed. He absentmindedly rolled over onto his side in a drowsy harrumph. Then it stuck him like a fast moving locomotive. Bed? Bed! Where?

He quickly sat up bolt right and was summarily slammed with a massive headache that was accompanied by dizziness and nausea. Mike let a moan as he allowed himself to fall back onto the pillowy softness of the bed. As soon as he gained control of the dizziness, he fell back into a dreamless sleep.

KITT went over his background check of Lieutenant Theresa Cast. Her records showed that she had been discharged from the Army due to a gunshot wound to her upper right chest during the Gulf War. She had had a promising military career up to this point. She was in line to take a command. The injury had violently ended that option in her life.

Theresa's physical healing had taken nearly half a year but her mental healing needed a couple of months longer. According to her records, she ceased to function as a normal adult during that time. She moved from her military housing to her old bedroom at her parent's home in Seattle, WA. During her stay with her parents, all her activities that could be tracked electronically halted. The only track KITT could follow during those months was her medical payments from the military. She didn't use her credit card, make any payments on bills, or even access her bank statements. It kind of shocked KITT to see how much the injury had pained the strong presence KITT knew as Lieutenant Cast.

KITT was amazed at Lieutenant Cast's extraordinary recovery. When she began to adventure out again, it was slow at first. Within a month, her charge card went from a single purchase at a local convenience store to 34 purchases in her last week in Seattle.

Theresa moved to Las Vegas and took up a security position at the Corsica Casino. She was so adept at her chosen position that she rose to the rank of Lieutenant in 6 months. She was then honored with the full responsibility of the 'whales' and celebrities.

With all this current information, KITT felt more secure about Lieutenant Theresa Cast. He would still keep a close vigil over Michael but he now no longer feared her intentions. Actually, KITT now welcomed it.

Slowly but surely, the tourist crowds of Las Vegas began to file onto Fremont St. The happily milling people were dressed mostly in jeans and T-Shirts. Some donned big floppy hats while still others wore teeny tiny flip-flops.

KITT found it quite interesting to people watch. He smiled internally as he watched families with small children trying to juggle their little ones while simultaneously trying to video record the long line of shiny replicas. Those parents were obviously very very thrilled with this Knight Rider phenomenon to want to subject themselves to that kind of stress.

He enjoyed listening to numerous replica owners exchanging the experiences of their proud ownership of a 25-year-old sports car. They spoke extensively on the topic. He found it quite informative and logged them in his memory banks.

What had really shocked KITT was the enthusiasm the growing crowd had for him. He enjoyed it when the people commented about how magnificently gorgeous he was. He was enjoying the verbal ooo'ing and awes of the passer's by. He was also getting used to being caught on video camera and photographed. He found that being the center of attention was not all bad after all.

The world welcomed him back in a head pounding haze. Every time his heart beat, his head would throb painfully. Mike knew that he shouldn't have had that last beer. But, it was soo good.

He slowly cracked his dry eyes open and instantly regretted it. The clear and bright morning greeted him like the brightest flash of lightening. He pulled one of the soft down pillows over his aching head and groaned.

Mike knew that he was in a hotel room, but whose hotel room was it? He hadn't bothered to purchase a room. KITT was just as comfortable as most hotel rooms. Also, Mike has already spent the allotment of cash Sarah had given him.

How he had gotten here? He didn't know.

Where was here? He wasn't sure.

When had he gotten here? He knew only KITT would know.

Mike painfully rolled to face away from the glaring brightness of the warm sun. He then lowered the pillow away from his head and moaned, "KITT, you there?"

KITT had been focused on listening to two women talk excitedly about last night's party at the Golden Nugget's bar. They were so excited that they talked so fast that KITT was glad to be a computer. He could process their conversation at their speed.

The sound of Michael's voice startled him slightly. "Michael?"

"Yeah KITT," he let out a painful moan as he attempted to sit up. For his efforts, Mike was rewarded with a massive sharp pain that radiated from the back of his head to his eyes. Like a tightrope walker, he stretched his arms out for balance as the pain was accompanied by a swirling dizziness.

"Michael, you do not sound too good. Are you alright?" KITT asked a little worriedly as he attempted to access a security camera on the casino tower parallel to the Corsica.

Mike had to take in deep even meditative breaths to stabilize his mind. He kept his eyes shut for fear that the moment he opened them, he would be assaulted by the sun or the dizziness or both. He softly inquired, "How did I get here, KITT?

As if KITT knew that speaking up would cause Michael pain, he whispered, "Lieutenant Cast escorted you to that room."

His mind felt like he was using a Dial-up modem, it was slow and nearly unresponsive. "Lieutenant Cast?" He questioned in barely a whisper as the soft comfort of the bed called to him.

"Michael, you need rest." KITT responded. He was worried about Michael forgetting the one individual he had been working close with throughout the day yesterday.

"KITT?" Mike raised his voice in frustration. He instantly regretted it as it reverberated viciously through his injured mind.

KITT kept is voice low as he responded, "Lieutenant Theresa Cast: Age-28, Height-6'2", Weight-195 lbs. Unmarried. Lives in North Las Vegas. She is currently the head of the security detail in charge of 'whales' and celebrities…"

Mike gently massaged his throbbing forehead as KITT continued to sound off about Theresa Cast. He would have rolled his eyes if he could have but everything from the neck up felt like it was in an ever-tightening vice grip. Finally, he had had enough, "KITT!" He grumbled loudly.

"Yes Michael?" KITT suddenly cut off his listings.

Mike decided that he needed a long hot shower. Maybe the rhythmic pressure of the water would numb the constant throbbing inside his head. He pulled out the earwig and dropped it on the nightstand. Then somehow he found the energy and fight to coax his weary body to stand up and walk to the shower.

KITT hated to be out of contact with Michael even when it was for hygiene purposes. He sighed as he watched Michael wobbly stumble out of the range of view of his hijacked surveillance camera. "Someday that man is going to cause me to blow a motor." He commented to himself as he refocused his attention on the activity on Fremont St.

Mike felt instant relief as the steaming hot water washed over his throbbing head and streamed down his skin. He instantly felt his muscles relax as he tilted his head up to face the full on pressure of the showerhead. The whole world just seemed to fall away as he focused solely on the beating of the hot water against his tired frame.

"Hello?" a voice called from behind the wooden door to Mike's Suite. "Mr. Bruening?"

The soft voice was feminine and was accompanied by the sharp ticking sound of a metal key rapping against the wooden door. The sharp noise was impatient and it remained unanswered.

Mike reveled in the glorious healing power of hot water. His mind was clearing up and his body was finally relaxing. It was such an awesome feeling. He wanted to just live inside that shower forever.

"Mr. Bruening?" the soft feminine voice called out again. It belonged to the small wonder known as Jessica. She was not alone, either. Only a foot away, stood the tall stoic figure of Lieutenant Cast. Jessica called out a little louder, "We have an appointment this morning. Wakey, Wakey."

"Open it!" Jessica firmly ordered the lieutenant.

Theresa didn't like invading people's privacy. She didn't like barging into someone's room uninvited. It wasn't something she wanted to ever happen to her. So why, in turn, would she do it to others? "No, not yet. Have you dialed up the suite's phone?"

Jessica gave the guard a sour look. Her first thought was a question. "Are you paid to question me?" She rudely confronted the dark suited female.

Oh, she didn't go there? Theresa's normally unemotional eyes flared with anger. Her long dainty finger's curled into a tight ball. Her normally at ease stance turned as rigid as a four-by-four wooden pole. Theresa knew just how to respond to this little parasite. Somehow, she managed to carefully hold it in along with her own breath.

"Are you going to open the door or do I have to find a different monkey that will do it for you?" Jessica grumbled as she stared the silent female guard down.

"I would highly recommend that you keep your insults to yourself." Theresa growled through gritted teeth.

Jessica rolled her eyes at Theresa and then taunted, "Did I upset the widdle baby? Are you going to cwy, baby?"

Theresa snapped. She roughly latched onto Jessica's shoulders and whipped the small woman around to face her. She then smacked the stunned Jessica hard against the wooden door. Theresa moved to within a inch of the shaking girl's frightened face and viciously stared her down. "Do Not _EVER_ and I repeat EVER tease me or try to take me on." Theresa growled into Jessica's face. "Your existence means nothing to me." She continued as her hot breath made the small woman's eyes tear up.

Jessica's body began to shake in fear. She hadn't realized the true consequences of the teasing. She feebly tried to shake her head 'yes' but the hold Theresa had on her was so strong that she failed. Jessica couldn't even move her head. "Okay" She managed to squeak but, even her voice was failing her.

Theresa slowly stood up straight and released her inhuman grip on Jessica's shoulders. Like everyone else, Theresa was a human with human feelings. She wouldn't accept any disrespect.

Jessica's fearful eyes betrayed her emotions. She hadn't wanted an altercation. She swallowed hard and asked, "Could you please open the door? I have been assigned to make sure Justin is at the Autograph panel by 10."

Theresa took on an unemotional mask as she said, "I will not violate my client's privacy until all avenues of contact have been attempted. Call the room and try the knock again."

Jessica began to roll her eyes again but instantly caught herself. Instead, she did as she was told.

The beige business phone on the nightstand began to ring a technological warble. It startled KITT. Mike had dropped the sensitive earwig only centimeters away from the business phone's loudspeaker.

At first, KITT turned down the volume coming from the earwig but the incessant sound of the ringing phone didn't stop. It quickly began to annoy KITT. It soon changed from a small annoyance into a painful burden that needed to end.

"Hi, you have reached Suite 1523." KITT intercepted the call and gave his best rendition of a monotone answering system's voice. "The occupant is currently unavailable. Please leave your name, telephone number, and reason for calling after the tone. Thank You for calling Corsica Casino and Resort." Then KITT sounded a short tone and began recording.

"Hello Justin, this is Jessica Lighthouse. I am right outside your door. I need you to come with me to Autograph event. It begins in 12 minutes. Justin? Justin? Please pick up."

KITT stored the message for when he and Michael were back in communication. He quickly ran a check of the event schedule and found the girl's story to be only slightly true. The first event of the day was a Question and Answer session with the public. It was to be followed immediately by the Autograph session. KITT noted it and then began to monitor the hallway outside Michael's door.

Mike reluctantly shut off the blessedly hot water. It had soothed the savage beast in him and he had been grateful. He pulled an extra fluffy oversized towel off of a nearby rack. He buried his face deep into its softness and relished in its sweet smell. It smelled like fresh roses.

Jessica once again tapped her metal keys against Justin's wooden Suite door. She knew that this sound was so grating that it couldn't possibly be ignored. And yet, Justin wasn't responding. She gave Lieutenant Cast a pleading look and begged, "Can we please go in? Please?"

Theresa had to admit that they had pretty much exhausted their avenues of communication. He wasn't responding. So, for his safety, she quickly swiped her Master Key through the electronic lock.

KITT watched in horror as the two women barged into Michael's room. He knew that Michael had gone to take a shower and definitely wasn't decent. Instinctively, KITT called out into the earwig. Of course, Michael didn't hear him or respond.

Jessica led the way. She looked over the expansive suite in haste. She was purposeful in her movements. She had a duty to perform.

Jessica checked the Lounge area. Empty.

She checked the kitchen and dinette. Empty.

She checked the small patio. Empty.

She checked the bedroom. Empty.

"MICHAEL!" KITT yelled into the earwig.

Jessica noticed the scattered clothing on the floor in front of the closed bathroom door. She carefully picked up a pair of jeans and blushed when a pair of boxers fell out. She slowly turned and then presented her find to Lieutenant Cast.

Theresa instantly grabbed the tiny apprentice by the arm and turned to vacate the area. They had violated his privacy. Obviously, he was in no condition to accept visitors.

Mike tossed his used towel onto the steam condensed sink. The hot air in the bathroom felt like a sauna. It was nice. He hated the idea of having to open the door. That would let the cold cruel reality of the world rush in. Finally, he sighed and then swung it open full.

Jessica gasped.

Theresa turned away from staring.

KITT continued to call out into the earwig.

Mike jumped back startled. He snatched up his previously discarded towel and whipped it around himself. He tied it tightly as he glared at the pair of shocked females standing unmoving in front of him.

"Mr. Bruening, I must apologize." Lieutenant Cast finally shattered the silence. "I had tried to avoid this and have failed. We will be leaving, _now_." She continued, as she drug the shocked female known as Jessica out of Justin's Suite and into the hallway.

Jessica didn't fight Theresa. She couldn't. She was still in shock. Not a bad kind of shocked. She actually really enjoyed it. She would never look at him quite the same again. Her red face formed a contented smile while she leaned against the closed door.

Mike rushed into his dirty clothes from yesterday. He wished that he had his overnight bag with him. His shirt was still torn and he didn't want to wear it again. Out of curiosity, Mike checked the dresser drawers. He was surprised to see that they were fully loaded. Mike held a silk turquoise shirt against his chest to check for size and then slipped it on. It felt good and looked just as wonderful.

Jessica rapped on the door again. "Justin?"

"No" He called back playfully.

"Please, we have to go." Jessica pleaded.

Mike slowly opened the door. "Where are we going?" He asked while still blushing. He was having a hard time getting her reaction to seeing him nude out of his mind.

Jessica took a step closer to him and offered him an arm as an escort.

Mike stepped back reflexively. He wasn't ready to touch her just yet. "No, no just tell me."

Jessica frowned. "You are expected at the Question and Answer panel. Come on, let's go." She encouraged as she began to take a leading step toward to elevators.

Mike tagged along. He felt like he was missing something but it just wasn't coming to him right now.

"I'm sorry Justin. I didn't mean to do that in there." Jessica broke the uncomfortable silence in the elevator. "You didn't answer the door or the phone. I was worried."

Mike stared absently at his shoes. He didn't know how to respond. Even his own mother hadn't seen him in the buff since he was 5 years old.

"Justin?" Jessica asked softly.

Mike reluctantly locked eyes with the tiny red-headed apprentice. "Forgiven. Don't give it another moment's thought."

Jessica felt her knees go weak when his eyes locked onto hers. She had been infatuated with him since his first carefree smile in her direction. She barely heard him speak and it took a few seconds for his words to register in her distracted mind.

The soft chime of the elevator interrupted the seductive mood. The group of three shuffled softly toward the casino exit that led onto Fremont St. They weaved through the maze of brightly colored electronic wonders known as slot machines. The allure to 'drop a twenty' into one of them was strong but not strong enough for him to actually do it right now.

"Hold it." Jessica said as she halted in front of a coffee stand. "Choose your breakfast."

"COFFEE!" Mike's mind screamed in glee. Yey, Coffee!

"You too Miss Cast. Choose your breakfast." Jessica said with a shy smile to the shocked Lieutenant.

Theresa hadn't expected that act of kindness after her earlier outburst. She blushed lightly and then ordered a black dark roast coffee and nothing else.

Jessica ordered a Café Mocha with extra cream and sugar for herself. She also ordered two Danishes: an Apple and a Cream Cheese. Lastly, she also placed an order of Orange Juice for her boss. She knew that she had better not show up empty-handed.

With breakfast in hand, the threesome strolled out onto Fremont St.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: My what a morning for Mike.

I know that this Chapter really focus on KITT and Mike too much but I needed to develop the other 2 characters too. :)

Thank You to the following people for such sweet reviews…You keep me wanting to finish this everyday. :)

Gromia, whitedino, Spidey2, Alex Joleta!!!!!!!!

and Thank You Shadowmccloud for adding me as Fav. Story and PenName!!!!!!!!!!!!


	12. Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

The bright morning sun gleamed viciously at Mike through the glass entry doors. It shone with a carefree madness like it knew that it would cause Mike's sensitive eyes to wince in pain and the sun just didn't care. It just kept on shining.

Mike blocked the sun from his eyes as best as he could with one hand. He stood in the windy breezeway of the double door entryway expectantly. Mike needed to adjust. Sure enough, about 10 seconds later, his eyes adjusted enough so that the unrelenting glare of the sun was not quite as painful.

KITT had been impatiently waiting for Michael. In his odd state, Michael had forgotten to retrieve the earwig. KITT felt uncomfortable without his means of communication to Michael. He hated that feeling.

Jessica led the way to the 3rd St stage. The Q&A session should have started five minutes ago. She was late. She knew that her boss would be annoyed at her sub-par performance. She grimaced at the idea of the lecture she knew was soon coming her way.

Mike detoured from Jessica's lead when he spotted KITT sitting off to the right. Even though they had already talked this morning, Mike needed to check in with KITT. He needed to see if anything of substance happened that he needed to know about. But secretly, Mike didn't feel right until he had his morning conversation with KITT. Though he would adamantly deny it to everyone.

"Michael?!" KITT called in shock and joy as Michael carefully juggled his coffee while he climbed inside the blue hued cabin.

"Hey KITT, how was your night?" Mike asked as he leaned back against the black leather seats.

"Not to be rude by changing the subject." KITT reluctantly began. "I need you to go back to the hotel suite and recover the earwig."

Mike quickly stuck his finger in his ear to check for the normally ever-present earwig. He shook his head in dismay as he realized that KITT was right. "Do you have a spare that you can loan me?" Mike asked with a cheesy smile.

"You know very well that that was our last resource." KITT chided him. "You damaged the first two and misplaced the other one. I had warned you several times that that was our last available earwig. You must retrieve it."

Mike's constant headache was clouding his memory. "Can't you make another one with that fancy Star Trek Replicator thingy of yours?" He joked.

"3-D Generator, Michael. It is not a Star Trek Replicator thingy. It is called a 3-D Generator." KITT corrected Michael while trying to hold back his frustration. "Besides, I have already explained to you in detail that the generator cannot build the finer wires and circuits of the earwig. That is why I had exaggerated the need for you to take care of it. You must retrieve it."

"Okay, Okay KITT I will go back for it." Mike grumbled as he waved his hands in the air to show defeat. "I just can't right now. Sorry KITT."

"Sorry doesn't get the earwig back Michael." KITT whined.

"I said that I would get it, didn't I?" Mike answered defensively.

"Yes" KITT whispered in a barely audible tone.

"Then believe me."

"Do I have a choice?" KITT snapped.

"Ouch, your trust in me hurts." Mike sarcastically returned.

"You promised Sarah that you would pick up her dry cleaning 2 weeks ago. You have yet to fulfill that vow." KITT pointed out.

"You know very well that we were called away to a new case while I was on route to her dry cleaners." Mike defended.

"So that just shows that you are easily distracted." KITT shot back.

"KITT, I said that I would retrieve the earwig. You can be sure that I will get it. Now, let's drop it." Mike responded a bit more angrily than he had expected.

KITT sat silently but, if he were human, he would have been trembling with anger at the whole situation. Didn't Michael know how precious that little communication device was? How could he be so careless? KITT felt helpless without the earwig. So, he decided to integrate himself into all available surveillance systems along Fremont St. At least, he would be able to see if anything were to happen.

"KITT? Hello…Earth to KITT." Mike called out while waving his hand in front of KITT's globe-like voice modulator.

"Huh? Yes Michael?" It startled KITT to find that he had not been paying attention.

Mike was about to ask KITT about last night, when a dull knock startled him. He smiled in slight amusement when he saw Jessica press her tiny nose against KITT's tinted driver's side window. An evil idea came to mind as he watched her cup over the sides of her eyes and squint for a better look. He quickly squelched it in favor of being a nice guy. Also, she had bought him breakfast. He was truly grateful for the coffee and glazed cake doughnut.

"So what kind of craziness should I expect?" Mike mumbled as he took a huge bite out of his glazed confection.

"Other than this woman?" KITT asked jokingly as he brought up a live video of the small red-headed apprentice with her face plastered against his window.

Mike blushed slightly as he remembered that morning's unexpected visitation. "Yeah KITT, that girl has seen a whole new side of Michael Knight." He joked as he hid his beet-red blush behind his Styrofoam cup of coffee.

"I tried to warn you about the intruders." KITT teased. "But someone pulled out his communication's device."

Mike rolled his eyes and then began, "What did you expec-"

"Justin!" screamed Jessica at the top of her lungs as she banged her tiny fist against the darkly tinted glass.

Mike rolled down KITT's window and rudely yelled back, "WHAT?" The instant he yelled, his headache returned with a murderously stabbing vengeance. He winced, rubbed his forehead, and moaned softly, "Ow".

Before Jessica could respond to Mike's sudden outburst, the tinted window automatically rolled up. She was about to bang on the window again, when the beautiful car's engine roared to life. She took a step back in surprise and watched it drive off of Fremont St and merge with the busy traffic on 4th St. Oh Yeah, she was definitely in trouble now.

"KITT?" Mike asked in disbelief as the Mustang GT500KR sped down the streets of Las Vegas. "Where are we going?"

"Away" KITT simply answered.

"KITT?" Mike angrily asked."

"That _woman_ was causing you pain. I could not just sit there and allow it." KITT finally confessed.

Mike softly patted the dashboard just above KITT's globe-like voice modulator and then said sincerely, "Thanks KITT, but you know that we have to go back, right?"

"But first, we must deal with your physical discomfort." KITT answered softly as he slid open a drawer just below his glove box. On the soft black felt, lay two small light brown pills.

Mike eyed the medication suspiciously. "Only one year, and you are already planning my demise?" He evilly joked.

"Really Michael?" KITT answered as he rolled his virtual eyes. "They are non-addictive light painkillers that will help relieve you hangover symptoms."

Mike shrugged his shoulders and then popped the small pills into his mouth. He quickly chased them down with his cooling coffee. They worked instantly. Whatever they were, they definitely didn't feel like "light painkillers".

KITT suddenly slowed down and then parked in front of a convenience store. "Sarah is calling." He announced as he opened a chat window on his HUD.

"Morning Mike," Sarah greeted him with her businesslike tone. "How's your vacation?"

Mike had known Sarah since they were kids playing in the forest near her dad's house. He could read her easier than a child's picture book. "No, you promised us two days." He whined.

Sarah gave him a how-did-you-know shocked stare. "I never said anything about a new assignment." She defended.

"Then you called to just say, 'Hi'? Well then, 'Hi'. Umm…I'm busy right now. Talk to you later, bye." Mike quickly evaded and then closed the chat window before Sarah could respond.

"Michael, you are not busy. Why did you lie to Sarah?" KITT questioned.

"KITT?"

"Yes Michael"

"Take us back to Fremont St." Mike lightly ordered as he leaned back in his nice warm driver's seat. The "light painkillers" had made him feel relaxed and he enjoyed it.

KITT quickly pulled onto a nearby cross street and began his trek back to Fremont St. "Michael, you haven't answered my question." He asked impatiently as he passed a slow moving silver minivan. "Why did you lie to Sarah and cut her off?"

"KITT, there are two reasons. Probably both are wrong but I just don't want to know right now anyway." Mike said thoughtfully as he reveled in the comfort of KITT's driver's seat.

At that moment, KITT pulled up to the lowered guard gate leading onto Fremont St. He automatically lowered his tinted window as he watched a brown suited guard step out of the white painted guard shack.

"Mr. Bruening!" the grey-haired security guard from yesterday approached with a huge smile. "I'm so glad to see you sir. I have been ordered to send you to the 3rd St event stage, ASAP. Actually, I am supposed to personally escort you there."

"No sir that will be alright. I know the way." Mike said dismissively as he upped the window and gunned KITT's powerful engine. It growled and rumbled viciously in protest.

The elderly guard shrugged his shoulders in defeat as he upped the lift gate. He knew that this was a war that he wasn't possibly going to win. As he watched the black GT500KR roll onto Fremont St and disappear among the slowly milling crowds, he rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Actors".

"Michael, please do not evade my question. What are the two reasons for lying to Sarah and suddenly cutting off the chat window?" KITT gently coaxed as he honked his horn at an oblivious couple who had stopped cold in his path.

Mike curled his lip and bit on his tongue as he feigned thinking real hard. He kept that act going until KITT parked in front of the bustling 3rd St stage. Once KITT had safely parked, Mike quickly jumped out before KITT could trap him inside the cabin.

Lieutenant Cast had been informed of Justin's arrival by the grey-haired gate guard. She efficiently mobilized her security detail in preparation for his eminent arrival. This was another open-air event and after the events of yesterday, she was taking no chances.

Theresa buried a knowing smile as she heard the growling power of an engine that could only belong to a Mustang GT500KR. Theresa was a closet car freak and this event was, as they say, "up her alley".

As soon the Mustang known as KITT safely parked, Theresa took up a defensive stance about 10' away. The placed herself in between the magnificent vehicle and the excited crowd. She didn't want to smother Justin with her presence. However, she didn't want to be so distant as to not be able to administer aid if needed. Theresa's brown eyes never ceased searching the rowdy crowd for potential threats as she changed her position.

Mike expected his quick movements coupled with the unrelenting glare of the desert sun to re-ignite his horrific headache. He was surprised when his eyes automatically adjusted painlessly. Mike was beginning to truly be thankful for KITT's miracle drug.

"Fashionably late and still devilishly handsome, huh ladies? May I present Justin Bruening?" The promoter with the thick black hair jubilantly announced as he watched Justin nonchalantly stroll up to the stage.

Mike smiled big for the cheering audience and happily waved as he passed them. He had now developed a 'why not?' attitude when it came to smiling and waving at the adoring fans. He figured that it was making them happy so, 'why not?'

Jessica sprinted across the black painted stage determined to reach Justin's side as he topped the metal staircase. She was only mildly successful. Jessica was traveling so fast that she couldn't stop in time. As Justin safely landed on the stage, she smacked full speed into his side.

As Michael was planting his second foot firmly on the platform of the stage, he noticed a fast-moving shadow on a collision course with him. His first instinct was avoidance. But he couldn't do that. If he had, whoever it was would have had an untimely fate that could end only in disaster at the bottom of the flight of metal stairs.

With split second reflexes that would make a ninja jealous, Mike braced himself against the black painted railing of the staircase while simultaneously opening up his left side to catch the speed demon. Yes this left him vulnerable, but he couldn't allow the individual to fall down the stairs.

In a loud "OOF", Mike's muscular body accepted the hard blow. Immediately, he curled his left arm around the shadow to prevent it from bouncing off of him and falling down the unforgiving stairs.

Jessica slammed full force into Justin. It was so hard that it punched the air out of her lungs. The crash was so jarring, she didn't even feel his strong arm wrap around her shoulders. It had rattled her so much, her normally devious mind didn't even register the fact that her face was buried deep into Justin's muscular chest and he was holding her tightly against him.

The excited audience screamed when they saw the petite redhead fly across the stage toward Justin. They gasped as they watched Justin get slammed by the small figure with the red hair. Suddenly and without any prompting, a loud satisfied roar erupted throughout the crowd. It was immediately followed by teasing whistles and catcalls.

Somehow, Jessica began to breathe again. Her first breath was a sudden gasp in of air that caused her whole body to shake for a second. At about her 3rd to 4th breath in, Jessica started to become aware of her surroundings. Her first recollection was the wonderful scent of men's cologne. It was quickly followed by the soft caress of delicate silk against her cheek. Then suddenly, her mind began registering the sounds of whistling and catcalls.

Mike had only the wind knocked out of him. A couple of quick deep breaths and he was recovered. While he was catching his breath, he carefully peeked down at the cause of all this. He wasn't surprised at all to see the brilliant red hair of Jessica against his turquoise shirt. "That girl is just crazy." The little voice in his mind remarked.

Shocked by the fact that she was cuddled up to some strange man, Jessica attempted to jerk away. She was met by the counterforce of the strong arm wrapped around her dainty shoulders. Had she bothered to look up, she wouldn't have so adamantly insisted on her freedom. Be that as it may, Jessica began to panic. She started viciously punching his rock hard chest while continuing her efforts to push out of his hold.

Mike hadn't expected the little fireball to go ballistic. He could tell that she was fighting him with every ounce of strength her little body could muster. He would have let her go instantly, except for the fact that she was pulling in the direction of the stairs. He couldn't allow her to fall down the stairs.

Suddenly the floor beneath her feet disappeared. She was floating or perhaps flying? Then it registered in Jessica's mind a little to late for her to do anything retaliatory, she was being lifted into the air by the strong arm around her shoulders. Not only that, it was spinning her around like a Swing Dance partner. All she could do was scream out in panic. And she did.

The enthusiastic audience whooped as they watched Justin twirl the redhead around. They just _loved_ Justin's antics.

As soon as Mike felt her securely regain her footing, he released Jessica. He knowingly smiled as he watched her stumble backwards completely caught off guard by the sudden freedom.

Jessica fell backward a few steps at the very second she had resumed her push against the force that held her tight. Luckily, a gargantuan stagehand was standing behind her. She lightly bounced off of him and then instantly swung around to apologize, "I'm soo sorry, Jackson."

Mike used that moment of distraction to carefully sneak passed Jessica. He could tell by the design of the stage exactly where he was supposed to go. He didn't need her to escort him all over the place.

The 3rd St stage was laid out quite similar to the stage Mike had visited at the television studio at the beginning of this odd vacation. At the center of the stage sat a long wooden conference table. It was longer than most. It had to be at least 10-12 feet long, if not an inch. At regular intervals sat small black microphones which were accompanied by two pitchers. The black pitchers were labeled COFFEE and the red pitchers were labeled WATER. The most eye-catching objects had to be the soft pink colored cardboard doughnut boxes. There were only two of them and they were wide open revealing the sugary confections hidden inside them.

The panel of five people consisted of Dr. Charles Graiman, Billy, Sarah, Zoë, and an empty seat in between Billy and Sarah. Mike gasped in disbelief as he caught sight of Dr. Graiman. He never took his eyes off of the graying doctor as he quietly took his seat. Could he really be alive? Was this another clone? Was this Dr. Graiman as intelligent as the original? Mike's mind was just flooded with questions for his previously deceased mentor.

The dark haired promoter stood confidently behind a shiny pulpit-like podium. It was slightly off to the right of the panel of KR cast members. He smiled at Justin and then began a long lecture about the rules for this event. He pointed to the microphone stand in front of the audience and gave the rules for its usage. It was a long speech but a needed one. Finally at the conclusion of the rules lecture, the dark haired promoter announced, "Okay, anyone with a question, form an orderly single-file line behind the microphone right there."

Before the dark haired promoter finished his sentence, a mob of people began pushing and shoving for a place in line. Seconds later, the ecstatic people settled down into a straight, well maybe not so straight, line.

"Hi everybody, my name is Brenda. My question is for Justin." A tall dishwater blonde in her 40's addressed the panel. "Justin, do you know if there will be a second season of Knight Rider?"

All eyes solely rested on Mike. He could feel the pressure of the stares weigh heavily on him like a yoke. And the bright heat lamps of the spotlights didn't help, either. He didn't even know what a Season One was much less if there would be a Season Two. He quickly began pouring a cup of coffee while he pondered a suitable deflective answer. Thankfully, he never did get the chance.

"Let's not go with that question for the time being. Our poor actors know about as much about that subject as we do, which is nothing, yet. But we can all hope, can't we?" The dark haired promoter interjected. "Okay, next in line, what is your name and who do you want to ask?"

"Hi, the name's Will. My question is for Bruce." A shorter, stout man in his 30's asked in a deep baritone voice. "Bruce, do you see your character returning in future seasons of Knight Rider?"

"Well hello Will," the grey haired Dr. Graiman began. "This is what I could glean off of my superiors about that. They left my demise open for interpretation. No body was found. No wreckage was discovered. However as of late, I have not been informed of a miraculous re-emergence. Sorry Will. But write your cable guys. Maybe they will listen." He ended with a chuckle.

"Thanks Will," the dark haired promoter moderated. "Okay, next in line, what is your name sir?"

"Yo, the name's Adam." A rather thin man in his 20's with pitch black hair down to his waist stepped up to the microphone. "My question goes out to Zoë. Yo girl, you have a man?"

"I'm sorry Adam-" the dark haired promoter stepped in but he never had a chance to finish.

"Why? Are you interested in the position?" Smith teased. "Well, I'm sorry… But, yeah, I'm spoken for, sorry Adam. I will put you on my backup list, okay?"

"Alright baby, I'll be waitin'." Adam said as he blew a kiss to her.

"Okay, next in line, Ma'am what is your name?"

"Hi everyone," a tiny blonde shyly called out from behind the microphone. "My name is Sarah. I have a question for Sarah." She announced louder as her confidence was growing. "Sarah, do you believe that your character will ever _really_ hook up with Michael Knight?"

"I am beginning to wonder that myself." Deanna chuckled. "I highly doubt it though. I think that the execs consider it more interesting to you guys to leave us as star-crossed lovers."

"Thank You Sarah. Next in line, what is your name?" the dark haired promoter asked as he pointed behind the small blonde.

"My name is Rebecca and I have a question for Justin." A girl in her 30's with a medium build and short spiky hair addressed the panel. "Hi Justin." She greeted him with a wide toothy smile and a wave.

"Hi Rebecca." He smiled back.

"What is it like to drive such a fancy and expensive car?"

Mike silently prayed a 'Thank You' to any deity that had finally listened to him. Here was a question that he could answer. "I love KITT. He is everything I would want in a car and then some. I don't think that I would want any other car than him." Mike said with a wink toward KITT.

"Thank You Rebecca. Okay, two more questions and then that will conclude the Question and Answer session for now. There will be one more of these later on today. So do not be upset. You will all have another chance later. Now, you sir, what is your name?"

"My name is Bradley Franklin but everyone calls me Triple Hot Brad." A tall man in his 40's wearing snake-skin boots and a pale beige 10 gallon cowboy hat sauntered up to the mic. "Howdy ladies, nice to see such radiance grace my being." He said with a nod and a tip of his big cowboy hat. "And it is a pleasure beyond compare to make your acquaintance also, gentlemen." He nodded again. "I could only dream of conversing with every single one of ya'll separately and in length. Seeing as I am currently limited to one question in total, I will direct my question to all of ya'll. The one of ya'll that want's to answer it, take it." He announced and then took a dramatic pause. Then he asked, "If ya'll could take the car out for a joyride, where would you take it?"

"Lemme answer that!" Billy screamed. "First, I would take him to like a crowded 10 story parking garage. While there, I would drive him through every single parking level. The whole time, I would be gunning KITT's engine. Not only would I get to feel the power vibrating through every muscle in my body, I would set off every car alarm in the garage, twice. Once while heading to the top and once more as I came back down. Oh Yeah!"

"Thank You Paul, now-" the dark haired promoter began.

"Wait, I'm not done." Billy continued. "Then I'd have him transform into a convertible. Not that pink one! And I would take him to an In and Out drive thru. Then he and I could wave at the ladies in the other cars." Then Billy waved at a crowd of ladies in the audience.

"Thank You Paul for that interesting side-note. Ladies that is Paul with a P. Now I want-"

Hey wait, I'm not done yet." Billy interjected. "It's not everyday I get to joyriding in KITT. Okay…Okay." He said as he faked taking in a deep breath to regain composure. "To top off the perfect day of going joyriding in KITT, I would take him to two places: A Costco gas station and California's Largest Automatic Car Wash. After my abuse of KITT's engine by gunning every 2 feet and then sitting in line at the In and Out, he would definitely need a top-off. Yeah, that and it would be another chance for me to show off my hot wheels to the beautiful ladies." He said with a wink to the group of women in the audience. "Then I would take him to California's largest drive-thru car wash and hand wax. After having to deal with me all day, I believe that KITT deserves a treat. And that would be the closest to a Spa Day I would be able to get for him. And that, my friends, would be what I would do if I could take KITT out for a joyride." Then Billy stood up, placed his hands across his middle, and bowed deeply.

"Thank You Paul! Okay, we have time for only one more question. Ma'am, yeah you Ma'am. Tell us your name." The dark haired promoter pointed out a raven haired female in her twenties.

The slim girl with the long black hair seductively curled her hand over the microphone, licked her cherry red lips, and locked her magnificently black eyes on Justin. She maintained that gaze as she began to speak. Her voice was nearly soundless and yet it seductively pulled everyone in. "Hello Justin, my name is Wanda. I want to know where a man like you with a car like that would go to treat a girl like me."

Mike felt his heart skip a beat and every muscle in his body numbed. He quickly chugged his whole glass of water as he tried to mentally still his nerves. With all his gathered composure, he joked, "Nowhere near my girlfriend Sarah."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I never did make it to the Q&A Sessions on time. So I missed out on both of them. Darn! So this was my rendition of the event.

I just love Billy!

Thank You…Whitedino and Bucklewinner for the reviews!...I live off of those.


	13. Communications and Dates

Communications and Dates

KITT sat in awe. He was looking at a panel consisting of his family. Well, that was his family before the tragic accident. The horrible memories of that fateful day when he lost his _father_ still burned in his CPU.

How could that man look so much like Dr. Graiman?

Could Dr. Graiman have possibly survived the airline accident against all odds?

KITT knew one thing. He had to find a way to have a private conversation with this Dr. Graiman.

The Question and Answer event had ended 5 minutes ago and everyone was slowly milling around the crowded stage while making their way to the metal staircase. No one seemed to be in any particular rush. Instead, they were having a good time getting reacquainted.

Everyone from the Question and Answer panel had gathered into a small group together and were either friendly chatting or exchanging warm hugs. It was a nice reunion except, it was missing one vital member, Justin.

Once the Question and Answer event had concluded, Mike sat quietly and curiously watched as the small group of panel members slowly stood up and made their way across the vast stage. He was in shock by the whole experience. And he now welcomed this lull in time for he needed to settle down and recollect his sanity.

It didn't help Mike's overall mood that he was being visited by ghosts. He had come to a determination today. He needed to have a private conversation with Dr. Graiman. Instinctively, Mike whispered into his lukewarm coffee, "KITT, what do you make of Dr. Graiman?" Just as the last words left his lips, he winced as he remembered that he didn't have his blessed earwig. That is why what happened next nearly made Mike drop his cooling coffee.

"He has to be a clone." KITT straightforwardly surmised. He had been closely monitoring Michael via 3 security cameras, 2 television cameras, and 6 private video cameras owned by bystanders in the audience. He had lost his connections to the personal video cameras when the Q&A event ended. He also lost one of his television camera links as the crew running it had turned it off to relocate to the Autograph tables.

Not liking that he was continuously losing his vast monitoring connections, KITT came up with a new plan.

First, KITT modified the little black microphone in front of Michael to send its frequency straight to his communications' program. Even if the little microphone was suddenly shut off by the hard working Audio Video crew, it would still be powered on and transmitting to KITT.

Then, KITT jerry rigged the massive black amplifier on the stand directly behind Michael to accept transmissions sent by him. He was surprised by how easily it had worked.

"KITT?" Mike whispered. "Wha…How are you doing that?"

"Really Michael, do you question the sun on how it rises or do you happily accept that is just does?" KITT asked philosophically.

Mike nervously looked around the stage for eavesdroppers. To him, the huge amplifier carrying KITT's voice sounded like it was acoustically screaming every single word for all of Fremont St to enjoy. "Shh KITT, we don't want the neighbors to hear." Mike joked.

"You have no reason to fear, Michael. I have accounted for every variable for this form of communication. I have modified the amplifier to direct its sound waves to only travel the exact distance to your position. Also, I have aligned the amplifier to send the sound waves only to your exact direction. No one closer, farther, left, or right of that chair can hear a word of this conversation." KITT stated with pride.

"KITT, you know sometimes I take your abilities for granted." Mike spoke into a sugar coated scone. "But Wow, not today. Okay, back to our previous subject. Do you believe that that man is or was our Dr. Graiman?"

"I have no real evidence to make a proper estimation, Michael. I can tell you this. He is very similar to the Sarah clone attending this event. I would personally like a private conference with this Dr. Graiman." KITT said with determination. "He may not be my father but he will definitely tell me why he is running around posing as such."

Mike turned sentimental and said, "KITT, I know how hard it is to lose a parent. I also know how much that this has to be hurting as well as confusing you. But for now, we should just keep an eye on him and gage for ourselves through observation. How about that?"

"I still wish to speak with him." KITT proclaimed with determination. "However, I will wait until you decide when to engage communications with Dr. Graiman." KITT softly relented.

KITT decided that a change of subject was needed. "Michael, the Autograph event is not due to begin for another half an hour. That gives you plenty of time to recover the earwig."

"KITT, you know that I would have to run full speed to get there, pick up the earwig, and get back in time?" Mike whined from behind his coffee.

"Yes, I do. If you leave now, you will return with 2 minutes 45 seconds to spare barring any unknown stops along the way." KITT announced hopefully.

"No KITT, no way am I running full blast to the room only to end up right back here sweaty and panting out of breath." Mike grumbled into a cake doughnut. "Besides, I don't know the number."

"Your suite number is 1523 and you are running fresh out of excuses. Now stop wasting time and get moving." KITT ordered.

"Sorry KITT, maybe later." Mike whispered. "It can wait until after the autographs, right?"

"Michael never put off for later what you can do right now. So get going." KITT fiercely urged.

"Sorry KITT, not now." Mike concluded. Then in a softer tone, he added, "Don't worry, I'll get it. Okay change of subject time; is there a listing of how long this autograph event will last?"

"According to the event schedule, the Autograph event will take approximately one hour. The schedule is not precise about the duration of this said event." KITT quietly announced. He didn't like giving Michael an answer that wasn't an answer.

"Sounds good." Mike reluctantly agreed. "How long is the layover between events after the Autograph session?"

"There will be a three hour lapse between events and the next series of events will be the same as you are currently performing. It will be a Question and Answer panel followed closely by an Autograph session." KITT stated proudly. At least this was a straight answer.

"Good, that will give me plenty of time to retrieve the earwig." Mike agreed. "Okay, off to meet my public." He chuckled. "Have fun and don't get into trouble."

"Trouble only follows you around." KITT devilishly added.

"Wait a second, who was the first one to be kissed by a total stranger this trip?" Mike jabbed.

KITT didn't respond.

"Uh huh, that's what I thought." Mike added mischievously.

Mike decided that it was time to stop talking to his breakfast. It was only a matter of time before people were going to notice him. "See ya later, KITT." Mike concluded as he rose from his brown folding chair. As he slowly descended the black metal staircase, he recognized a familiar figure waiting for him at the base.

"Good Morning Mr. Bruening." Lieutenant Cast greeted with a slight grin and an extended hand. "May we talk in private for a second?"

Mike gently shook her hand and then nodded, "Yeah, but only for a couple of minutes. I have to get back in time for the Autograph session."

"Yes, I know. That is what we have to discuss." Lieutenant Theresa Cast unemotionally agreed. She then guided him into the Golden Nugget Casino and led him to a private glass room labeled, VIP.

Mike reluctantly followed Lieutenant Cast. At first, he thought that Theresa had seen him talking to himself and didn't want to confront him about it in public. He was glad to hear her say that they just needed to do a pre-Autograph Pow-Wow type meeting. Mike knew exactly what to expect from this briefing. If he had been in her shoes, he would be doing the exact meeting. He knew that he would tell her to always be a little cautious and skeptical of everyone. However, he knew that Lieutenant Cast needed to do this. It was part of her job as protector of the people-of-the-public-eye.

The VIP room was magnificent. Etched glass doors invited Mike into a massive lounge area decorated with burgundy colored overstuffed leather couches, many dark red wood cocktail tables, a large tropical floral arrangement on every table, and the centerpiece of the room was an extra large dark Mahogany coffee table which had carved Ball-and-Claw feet. What had also made that coffee table so extravagant was the gold inlaid onto the surface of the highly polished beauty. The gold represented the trademark symbol of the Golden Nugget Casino.

"Mr. Bruening, please take a seat." Theresa directed as she motioned for the actor to sit down in one of the dark brown leather single-person chairs.

Mike preferred not to take a seat. He wanted a face-to-face conversation. He knew that she would not be sitting and that it would put her in a distinctly dominate position. He would rather have it even. So, Mike decided not to sit and opted to lean lazily against the dark Mahogany Wainscot paneling on the wall. "Nah, I would prefer to stand, if that's okay with you? I've been sitting most of the morning and now I feeling like standing." He lied and then added, "My name is Mike. Call me Mike."

Theresa grinned devilishly and joked, "If your name is Mike Traceur, then my name is Marilyn Monroe."

"Well in that case Miss Monroe, it's nice to hear that the news about your demise was just a rumor. When will you be making your next cinematic debut?" Mike returned as he dug his leather wallet out of his back pocket. He carefully chose the Nevada driver's license, slid it slowly out of its plastic holder, and then faced it toward Lieutenant Cast.

Lieutenant Theresa Cast must have been born skeptical. She doubted everything Mr. Bruening had to say and she even doubted his government issued proof of identification. Finally, she concluded that Justin Bruening was his Stage Name and that the Nevada license bared his legal birth name. "So Mr….what should I call you: Bruening or Traceur?"

Mike's eyes lit up. She had actually asked him a question he had wanted her to ask. He didn't really mind being referred to by his last name, as long as it was _his_ last name. However, he definitely wanted to be on a first name basis with the stoic guard. "Could you call me Mike?"

Why Mike? Why not Justin? Well it was not her decision. "Affirmative, I will be addressing you as Mike for the remainder of your stay. Thank You, Mr…Mike." Lieutenant Theresa stuttered. "Now we need to seriously discuss your safety. As you have probably figured out from yesterday, you are a target." Theresa confronted. "I, sir, am in charge of your safety and as you very well know, I take my job very seriously."

Mike quietly nodded in agreement. He had definitely seen Lieutenant Theresa in action and was glad that she was on his side.

"So, I need you to pay very close attention and adhere very closely to these instructions. Got it?" She straightforwardly instructed as she took up a position only a couple of feet away from him and locked her brown eyes with his.

Mike nodded a 'yes'.

"Good.

#1- Keep an eye out for weapons. You would be surprised at how small or common-looking a deadly handgun would be disguised as.

#2- Be weary of frantic fans. Their overzealous demeanor can become harmful.

#3- Limit physical contact. The longer you are in physical contact is the higher the probability of an attack. So sign or hug but move on quickly.

#4- We need a form of non-verbal communication.

When I make this movement," Theresa held up her right hand so as her fingers were vertical and her palm was facing Mike. It looked like she was making a promise or a vow. "I am signaling caution. Most likely the fan has done something to warrant further scrutiny. Be careful at that time and keep an eye out for further instructions.

Next, if I do this," Theresa made quick slicing movements in front of her dainty neck. "I am signaling for you to cut off any action you are performing. Most likely, that action would be accompanied with swift defensive moves. So, beware.

Also, if I do this move after my caution sign, I have determined the fan to not be a threat and you may continue." Theresa then made a rolling motion with both arms level to her perfect waist.

"One more and then that will do for now, if I do this," Theresa let her right arm dangle loosely next to her shapely body. However, her well-tanned hand was stiffly flat with her palm facing behind her and her long fingers were wildly flapping up and down together as one. "It indicates that I need you to come to me as quick as possible. You are not in danger. I just need a quick conference."

Mike was beginning to feel a bit overloaded and this was taking longer than he predicted. "Got it." He sternly agreed with a short nod. "We need to get back. I don't wanna be late two times in a row."

Theresa quickly agreed and led him out of the extravagant VIP Lounge. She even held open the etched glass entranceway door.

KITT didn't like being in the dark. With the precious earwig abandoned in the massive suite, KITT couldn't hear the conversation between Michael and Lieutenant Cast. The elaborately decorated VIP Lounge contained only 3 video surveillance cameras and zero audio microphones.

KITT had a hard time catching a clear viewing angle to lip read. How was he to properly anticipate and/or accept upcoming events if he had no idea what to expect? So KITT decided that his only available option left was just to ask.

KITT immediately plotted Michael's pathway through the heavily populated casino. Once he had formed an accurate mapping, KITT plotted all the two-way communication's devices along Michael's route.

"Michael Knight, you have a courtesy call." A very recognizable voice politely announced over the casino's widely distributed speaker system. "Please pick-up the nearest house phone, thank you."

Scattered chuckling could be heard throughout the busy casino.

Mike grinned slightly as he heard the brief announcement. He knew the tones and inflections of his computerized partner better than anything. Also, it didn't surprise him how easily KITT had gained access and used the casino's technology. KITT was very resourceful. Mike wondered idly what was so important to KITT that he had dared to interrupt the normal functions of the casino.

KITT instantly rang a small tan house phone on the burgundy wall as Michael unknowingly approached it. Just in case Michael decided to bypass this communication station, KITT was fully prepared to ring the next three along Michael's pathway.

Mike hadn't expected the loud old-style telephone ring. That is why what happened next made even the stoic face of Lieutenant Cast grin widely as she suppressed a laugh.

Startled by the sudden and loud sound off to his right, Mike jumped away off to his left. Somehow, he never missed bowling over two elderly women toting bucket loads of quarters. The quarters soared through the air like a shiny metal hail storm.

The two grey-haired ladies roughly bumped into each other as they tumbled down to the unforgiving thinly carpeted floor. Miraculously, they managed to catch onto each other's thin arms and stabilized enough to not fall down. They stumbled a few steps but somehow helped each other stay upright. They both gave Mike an unbelievable look of shock as they regained their unsteady footing.

The very second Mike realized that he had run into the two defenseless elderly women, he jumped back and whipped around in surprise. Instantly, he was profusely apologizing while assessing their frail condition. He hadn't wanted to crash into or harm anyone. "I'm so sorry ladies." He vehemently apologized as he helped them straighten up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Ellen are you okay?" One of the grey-haired ladies asked. The stunned geriatric wore a lime green cotton sport's suit with a pastel pink Panama hat and matching pink penny loafers.

"Yeah Gloria, I'll survive." The elderly lady in the baby blue cotton housedress responded. She then deeply grimaced at Mike and complained, "Now why did you do that, young man?"

Mike was already painfully crawling around on his hands and knees on the red carpeted floor. With the much-needed help of some generously nice passers-by, he was collecting, piling, and scooping up the scattered silver quarters. He only looked up for a second with apologetic eyes. "I'm so sorry, ladies. I was startled and jumped."

Both Ellen and Gloria offered their half-empty plastic cups to Mike as they proceeded to join him and the others on the unrelenting floor. They had every intention of assisting in the coin recovery. They never had the chance.

Mike immediately stood up and asked kindly, "Are you ladies crazy? Come up off that floor. We have this good to go."

Ellen playfully eyed Mike from her uncomfortable spot on the very tough floor and then suddenly grinned full on. "How often do I get the chance to crawl around on my hands and knees with a handsome young man like yourself?"

Mike blushed and quickly looked away with an embarrassed smile. He hadn't expected that from her.

With a careful approach to avoid getting too close to Ellen, Mike helped recover all the lost coinage. It had only taken a couple of minutes and he had felt guilty about the whole scenario. Once he was up on his feet, he carefully helped the Good Samaritans and Ellen to stand up. "Once again, I truly apologize for all of this. Can you forgive me?" He begged lightly with a schoolboy grin.

"Only if you can give an old girl her dying wish?" Ellen evilly grinned.

Mike began to worry about what that could possibly be. No Way! He wasn't going to do that. "What is you dying wish?"

"Ever since my Gerard died, I haven't gone on a _real_ date with a _real_ man. Tonight, you will escort Gloria and me on a date. Deal?" She asked very seriously.

Mike couldn't believe his luck. How in the world had he found these two women? "Okay, hotdogs it is." He joked with a massive grin that covered his whole face.

"No Way Mister, you are going whole hog. You will pick us up and escort us on an evening we will soon not forget or do I feel my hip starting to really hurt?" She feigned painfully clutching her side.

"Okay, okay I will take you both out. But you have to promise to behave." Mike relented. How bad could it be? "Here's my number. Talk to my receptionist his name is KITT. He will help you set up the whole thing. Now I really must be going. See you tonight." Mike hurriedly added as he passed a card to them with only a phone number on it. He then practically sprinted through the rest of the casino on his way out to Fremont St.

"Can you believe it Gloria? It worked. We have a date with an actor tonight!" Ellen said with an evil grin. "You are good!"

"Me good? Who was the one who used the 'oh my aching hip' line?" Gloria added with just as huge a smile as Ellen. "Come on, we have a date to plan."


	14. Autographs

Knight Rider Festival '09

Autographs 

If KITT had been programmed with the ability to laugh, all of Fremont St would have known about it. He hadn't expected an innocent telephone call to have such a hilarious outcome. After scanning the elderly women for possible injuries, he had come to the conclusion that it was just a slight mishap and nothing more.

What had really surprised KITT was how devious the sneaky women were. After a quick review of the recent surveillance footage, KITT knew that this was no happenstance. He watched as they stalked Michael to the VIP Lounge. He also looked on as they positioned themselves inconspicuously along Michael's pathway.

KITT chided himself for not noticing them sooner. What if they were killers? It had surprised him at how complacent he had become. Here he had thought that maybe he was over-reacting about the loss of the earwig. Now, he really knew the true value of the little technological wonder.

Mike wasted no time getting back to Fremont St. Whatever KITT needed to say could wait. He had an event to attend and this one sounded like fun.

The very second that Mike set foot on the concrete sidewalk of Fremont St, Jessica appeared out of nowhere, "There you are. Where have you been? The event is about to start, come on." She enthusiastically urged.

Mike let Jessica lead him to an obviously crowded area off to the left. He had never seen such a long line in all his life. He stopped cold when he saw the Disneyland-like line winding around and around in front of another paper covered folding table. Mike couldn't believe it. All these people were here to see him? Wait. Not him, a man that looked identical to him named Justin. Mike had yet to meet this Justin guy and he really hoped that he would have by now. It was strange to meet all these clones and not the only one designed to be him.

The happily gathered crowd began to smile and wave at Michael Knight. They would have been surrounding him and roughly vying for attention if they hadn't been in line. Most had claimed their spot in this line right after the Q&A event and there was no way in the world they were going to give up their precious spots now.

Mike also found it interesting to see all the weird and crazy stuff the exited fans were hauling and waiting to get signed. Some people had bagfuls of items while others were hauling around car parts. One rather tall gentleman who was patiently standing in line, held on tightly to a huge plastic piece of car. Once Mike got a closer look at it, he realized that it was a tan dashboard. Actually, it was a piece of plastic that ran the full length of a dashboard. The sucker must have been 4-5' long. Mike smiled at how crazy that seemed to him.

Jessica daintily linked arms with Justin as she attempted to lead him to his predefined spot behind the flimsy conference table.

At first, Mike fought her. He would go when he very well pleased and some pushy little red-head wasn't going to decide it for him. But then, he mellowed and relaxed into Jessica's lead. He didn't mind her that much. He just wished that she would ask him before she did something.

Jessica felt Justin relax and smiled inwardly. She had hoped that he wanted to be led and she was happy when he allowed it. With a certain amount of pride obvious all over her face, Jessica pulled Justin around the flimsy table and to the open spot between Dr. Graiman and Zoë.

Mike couldn't believe his luck. He was placed next to the very man he and KITT wanted to talk to. Oh yeah, this event was going to be very interesting.

KITT wasn't being unobservant at this time. He noticed the only available position at the Autograph table and it made him both mad and excited at the same time. He was mad because Michael didn't have the earwig and he was excited because Michael was going to get a chance to talk to the imposter. He knew that Michael wouldn't be idle through this whole situation and that was one of the many things he liked about his partner.

Lieutenant Cast spread out her well trained security detail. She had already carefully briefed them on what exactly she expected of them. These ladies and gentlemen were hand-picked by Theresa herself. She wanted a strong and capable group to be her security detail. These men and women were that and more. And if anyone were to ask her about her crew, she would beam with pride and tell them just how great her team was.

At first, Mike reluctantly took his seat at the Autograph table. He had seen the rest of the Autograph artists lazily sitting down and copied them. However it didn't take long for him to become antsy in his hard folding chair. It probably had something to do with the 3 sugar-coated doughnuts, 4 cups of coffee, or his building anticipation of this event. Most likely, it was a combination of all three. Frustrated by the whole thing, Mike defiantly stood up and lightly kicked the black aluminum chair to the side. Who cares if he stood up or sat down.

"Please, only one article/item for signing. There is a long line and we have only 1 hour to get through as many people as possible." The dark haired promoter loudly announced from behind the Autograph panel. "These wonderful actors and actresses have generously donated their time to be here. They are not being paid, so please respect them."

The order of the lineup of personnel went like this: Sarah, Zoë, Mike, Dr. Graiman, and Billy.

All of them sat quietly in anticipation of the 'go' sign. Well, all of them except Mike. He smiled shyly at the waiting crowd and then casually glanced up and down the row of his friends.

"Justin, are you alright?" Bruce asked worriedly as he looked at Justin standing up nervously.

Mike gave the Dr. Graiman clone an odd look. "I'm fine. How are you?"

"You don't seem like yourself, Justin. I'm just a little worried about you." Bruce answered with real concern.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit tired. I should be fine as soon as all that coffee kicks in." Mike lied easily.

"You are a good liar." Bruce said with a devious smile. "You haven't been yourself through this whole event. Deanna told me about the odd way you have been acting. And then I saw it firsthand on the stage back there. If you need a friend to talk to, I'm available." He spoke sincerely.

Mike couldn't believe his luck. Dr. Graiman had asked him…_Him_. Yes! Now, he didn't have to come up with some excuse to get a meeting with Charles.

"Well, I sure could use another man tonight." Mike chuckled. "I have a double date tonight would you like to join?"

"You know that I'm married." Bruce added in shock. "You have even met my daughter."

"Once you meet _my girls_, you will laugh at what you just said." Mike smiled wide. "Please come along?"

"You won't tell Michele, will you?"

Mike crossed his heart in fun and then vowed, "I promise."

"I could use a free dinner…You're buying, right?" Bruce chuckled with a wink.

"Of course, I'll call you later with all the info." Mike agreed with relief.

"Alright but just let me know at the 3 o'clock event." Bruce grinned and then turned his attention to the dark haired promoter who had been talking the whole time. He was curious what Justin had meant by _my girls_ but decided just to wait it out and find out later.

Before the dark haired promoter could finish his proclamation of the rules, the cute little blonde that had taken the very first position in the long line walked up to Sarah with a huge smile. "OMG! I love you! Thank you for doing this. Could you make it out to Wanda?" She begged in a high giddy tone.

Mike carefully watched the Sarah clone interact with the tiny blonde fan. He could see some of the mannerisms of his Sarah shine through this very good clone. He smiled and blushed bright red when he noticed the Sarah clone caught him staring.

KITT was quickly becoming bored just sitting there watching Michael. That's not to say that he was just idly standing by. He had 4 different angles of Michael feeding straight into his HUD. But for now, Michael was relatively safe. KITT had counted at least 10 uniformed security personnel strategically scattered about this event. He knew that such a well-planned and executed endeavor had to be the work of Lieutenant Cast. She was the only one he knew that had the skill and talent to pull it off so seamlessly.

KITT's boredom was short-lived. For at that very moment, his personal space was invaded by a very different replica. A replica of who? He wasn't quite sure. It was a Mustang, like him but its scanner was a blend of KITT, Two Thousand's LED light bar structure and a fibre optically generated light show which accurately mimicked his scanner. He was impressed and confused at the same time.

Then the driver of the interesting replica stepped out of his KITT. He stood 6'2" tall with honey colored brown hair and sported a slim figure with a muscular build.

KITT watched with interest as the driver surveyed his surroundings and then stepped over to him. He heard the nice looking man hum as he soaked in the appearance of KITT. For some odd reason, KITT really liked this guy and felt a bit of pride as the tall gentleman nodded in appreciation of him.

"Nice, very nice." The driver of the replica finally said as he tried to look inside KITT's driver's side window.

KITT kept his window tinted but he really didn't want to. He was enjoying the admiration from this tall replica driver. He didn't know why and it didn't make sense for him to seek praise from this man but he enjoyed it and that was that.

"Well handsome, I have to go back to my car." The driver commented softly as he patted KITT on his top. "You be good."

KITT had to catch himself not to reply. He wanted to give the man a snide remark like he did for Michael. But he contained it, as he very well should have. Why did he feel so comfortable with this young man?

The tall young man then began to prepare his replica for public viewing. He quickly dug into the trunk of the modified Mustang and pulled out a well-prepared and perfectly laid out signboard. It showed all the hard work that had gone into the building of his beautiful replica. It showed full color pictures of each change he had made and why it inspired him to add it.

The interesting replica was well represented by the 5' signboard. It showed: Pictures of a pure black Mustang GT500KR with the Cobra icon on the side and the trunk, the hood had the small raised aerodynamic scoop as the KITT, two Thousand Trans Am. KITT also noticed that this KITT had his Lamborghini doors in its Normal Mode.

The sign board went on to show pictures of the KITT's interior which he found rather interesting. He read about the interior having used the beige colors of the KITT, Two Thousand's design right down to the beige leather seats. It was well meshed into the original black colors of the Mustang. Also he caught sight of and liked the design of the gullwing steering wheel complete with a picture of a helmet and the word KNIGHT 2000 written in bold red font.

At the bottom of the tall informational sign in smaller font but still large enough to read, it read, My KITT designed and Maintained by me, Stefen.

KITT recorded his camera angles of the unusual replica and made sure to get a full view of the informational sign and the apparent builder, Stefen. He wanted to show Sarah. This replica looked great and he wanted to share it with her.

Mike was getting anxious about meeting his public when out of the blue, a heavy set Hispanic woman with long dark brown hair ran up to Mike at full speed. Mike could tell by the massive genuine smile making her whole face glow that her intentions were harmless. He smiled back sweetly.

"Oh My God!" She screamed as she ran up to him. "Justin, I have always wanted to meet you!"

Before anyone realized it, even Mike himself, she ran around the endcap of the Autograph table and happily wrapped her strong arms around a now startled Mike. She was about the same height as him and was just as strong. She held him tightly for about 5 seconds and then slowly released him with a sigh of satisfaction.

Lieutenant Cast was just as surprised by the sudden appearance of the happy woman as Mike. She had positioned herself about 4' away from him and was watching the line as it continued to increase in length. She definitely hadn't expected a fanatic fan to get passed her and her well-trained posse.

The second that the grinning Hispanic woman let go of her idol, Lieutenant Cast roughly grabbed the woman's arms and pinned them tightly behind the woman's back. Then she shoved the woman hard through a nearby unmarked access door leading into the casino.

"Listen carefully, don't resist and follow my directions to the letter." She whispered hoarsely into the shocked woman's ear. She wasn't playing around with this.

Mike was just as startled by the Lieutenant's rough reaction as the poor woman was. He quickly pushed his way through the white access door in hot pursuit of the struggling pair. He wanted to be sure that he was there to help out if either of them needed him.

The whole line of patiently waiting adoring fans groaned sadly when the saw Justin leave the Autograph table. Most had shown up just for him and were deeply saddened to see him leave so quickly and they didn't keep it to themselves.

These kinds of questions and more were heard grumbled and even rudely yelled from the crowd:

"Hey, where is he going?"

"Wasn't he supposed to stay for an hour?"

"Is he coming back?"

They kept up their griping long after their wonderful Justin had disappeared.

Mike didn't hear the protest going on outside. He was too busy trying to prevent a catfight inside. Once Lt. Cast let go of the angry Hispanic woman's slightly muscular arms, she shook the pain out of her shoulders and then viciously stared down the pushy officer that caused this pain.

Mike could clearly see the barely contained rage inside the pissed off fan's deep brown eyes. He knew that he had better step in pretty quick or his fan might be hurt. So he carefully positioned himself within 2 feet of the quarreling pair and lifted his hands in surrender when they shot him deadly glares for coming so close. Mike gave them a boyish grin and then in his sweetest tone, he intervened. "Ladies…Ladies, isn't there a way to settle this like gentlemen?"

Both ladies continued their icy stares at him. They didn't find any light in this situation. He was interrupting something that he didn't need to get involved in, in the first place. Then suddenly, the livid Hispanic fan relaxed and smiled sweetly at Justin.

Mike gave her a bewildered look. Why was she so happy all the sudden?

"Hi Justin, I'm Rachel. There is no way that I could stay mad at you. I love you too much." She said in nearly a schoolgirl giggle.

"What part of 'Stay behind the table', did you not understand?" Theresa rudely butted in.

"Theresa, it's okay. She was just excited." Mike calmly added as he smiled softly to Rachel. "She promises never to do it again, right?"

Rachel smiled a knowing smile and then vowed, "I promise. I cross my heart and hope not to die as you stick a thousand needles in my eye." She joked as she used her index finger to cross-her-heart.

Mike chuckled softly and then asked her as an afterthought, "How can I make this up to you Rachel? How about this, would you join me for dinner tonight? Beware we are not going to be alone. I have already booked a pair of elderly ladies but it would be nice for you to come along too. So, what do you say?"

Rachel squealed in happiness and then threw herself into Justin in a tight hug. She couldn't believe her luck and his kindness. "Oh My God! I would love it!" She finally managed to say as she released him from her impromptu embrace.

"Good." Mike agreed with a huge smile. "Here is my card. Call this number and talk to my secretary. He'll fill you in with all the details." Mike instructed softly as he handed her a plain white business card that had on a typewriter written phone number on it. "I have to go. I have a long line of people waiting for me to come back. KITT will fill you in. See ya later."

Rachel didn't have time to thank him. Justin had already spun around on one foot and pulled on the white access door. He was gone in seconds. She didn't mind too much, she had a date with him later on tonight. She smiled contentedly, sighed, and then hugged the little white business card tight to her chest, right above her heart.

KITT had been a silent observer of the whole event ever since the woman grabbed Michael in a hug. It pulled him straight out of his reverie of the Knight 2000 hybrid replica. After about 2 seconds, he realized that the happy Hispanic woman didn't pose an immediate threat. He also believed that Lieutenant Cast's reaction to her actions were a bit over the top.

What KITT lip-read next surprised him to say the least. KITT was now a secretary? Michael had a date planned for later? Who was planning it? When was it? Who was he dating? It was times like this that made KITT really miss the little earwig.

KITT needed to get some answers and he needed to get them _now_. At first, he had planned on using the PA system to call Michael to a nearby House Phone. When he saw the red-headed Jessica talking on a cellular telephone, a new plan began to form in his bored CPU.

KITT quickly hacked into the small hot pink cell phone and determined its phone number. He dialed it.

Jessica had been paying close attention to Justin interacting with the happy crowd when she heard her distinctive ring tone. She quickly glanced at the highly polished face of her phone and frowned. The number it displayed was Restricted. She didn't know any Restricted number people so, she quickly pocketed the phone and ignored it.

KITT refused to be ignored. As soon as the automated answering service kicked in, he hung up and dialed again.

Jessica checked her phone once again and saw that it was that Restricted number again. This time, she sent it straight to her answering service and pocketed the phone again.

This game went on for 4 more times. KITT would call…She would send it straight to Voice Mail…and then KITT would call again.

Jessica was getting frustrated with this stupid idiot so, she finally did something about it. The next time the wrong number called her she answered it, "YOU HAVE THE WRONG NUMBER!" and then she hung it up.

She surprised KITT. He hadn't expected her to yell at him so loud and angrily, but that didn't stop him. He dialed her number again.

Jessica would have shut off her phone if she could. But she needed to be available to the dark haired promoter at all times so, she couldn't turn it off. So when it rang again, she growled and then answered it, "Whoever you are, you have the wrong phone number. Please do not call me again." She spoke more sweetly in hopes that they would listen and then she hung up before they could respond.

KITT was surprised at how easily he was wearing her down. She was almost ready for a conversation with him. He smiled internally and dialed her number again.

Jessica's frown turned into a scowl as she noticed the Restricted number had called again. "STOP IT! Will you please stop it?" She yelled but didn't hang up.

KITT immediately noticed that the connection was still intact. She didn't hang up on him. "I apologize for disturbing you." He spoke with as much sincerity as he could muster. "I need to speak with Justin…Justin Bruening."

"This is not his phone!" She snapped and then hung up.

KITT dialed her number again.

Jessica found it easier to ignore the Restricted number this time and let it go to Voice Mail.

KITT felt like he had taken 2 steps back. They were back to this old game again. Oh Well, here we go again. KITT redialed her phone number.

The third time the Restricted number hailed her phone, Jessica answered in a livid tone, "This is not Justin's phone! I am not his secretary! Please stop calling me." And then she hung up.

'Not this again.' KITT thought as he redialed her number.

"WHAT!!!" She screamed.

"I wish to speak with Justin Bruening." KITT answered coolly. He didn't need to add fuel to her already blazing fire.

"Call _his_ phone!" She answered in a barely contained rage.

"His phone has been currently misplaced. I was instructed to call you. Please let me speak to Justin Bruening." KITT asked sweetly, almost too sweetly.

"How do you know Justin?" Jessica asked out of pure curiosity.

"I am his…secretary, apparently." KITT paused a little mad that he had been volunteered into the new position with out his knowledge or permission.

"And what is your name?" She needed to know, having the personal secretary to Justin Bruening calling her phone had to be a privilege.

"KITT." He said proudly.

"No way! Your name is Kit?" She asked in pure shock.

KITT internally groaned and then answered, "Can you pass the phone to Justin?"

The second Mike set foot outside onto Fremont St, the whole line-up of fans happily applauded. He had only been gone for a couple of minutes at the most but it had been enough to make them worry about his return. Mike smiled broadly as he immediately retook his spot in between Zoë and Dr. Graiman.

"Did you have fun while you were gone?" The Zoë clone asked with a wink.

Mike leaned down and whispered in a barely audible tone, "I have plans for tonight. So, you tell me?"

The Zoë clone socked Mike in the arm lightly and then jokingly added, "Don't kiss and tell."

Mike smiled huge and was getting ready for his comeback when Jessica, the apprentice to the dark haired promoter, tapped him on the shoulder. When his brown eyes connected with her green, he saw that she looked really confused. "What's up Jessica?"

"How did your secretary get my cell phone number?" She asked completely flabbergasted. "I never gave you my number. So how did he get my number? And one more thing, why is he trying to call you through me? Don't you own a phone?"

"Secretary?" Mike asked in deep thought." Who would—KITT!"

"Yeah, that's him and how odd is it that he goes by the name of the car?" Jessica asked curiously as she passed her hot pink cell phone over to Justin.

"KITT?" Mike asked in shock as he placed Jessica's 'girlie' phone up to his ear.

"Michael, when were you going to inform me about my new secretarial duties? I am an Advanced AI, not your personal black book." KITT gruffly complained.

"You commandeered someone's personal cellular telephone to complain about a few phone calls? KITT, I gotta go." Mike grumbled into Jessica's phone.

"Wait, wait…If you are going to put me in charge of your social life, do you want me to determine your event schedule or do you want to tell me exactly what you wish to do?" KITT asked a bit unsure as he reluctantly accepted his new duties to his driver.

A nice looking man in polo shorts and a Hawaiian shirt stood smiling in front of Mike. Mike could tell that he was patiently waiting for him to get off the phone. "KITT whatever you decide is fine. Now I really gotta go." Then he quickly hung up the phone before KITT could respond. He smiled evilly and softly tossed it back to Jessica.

Human social interactions were not KITT's cup of High Octane. So KITT began to scour the Internet for good resources on the subject. He wanted to be sure to set up a proper evening of entertainment.

"Hi Mr. Bruening, it is sooo nice to finally meet you. You have no idea how much of an honor it is to meet you." The young man said proudly with a massive smile as he presented Justin with a small book to autograph.

"Thank You." Mike said in a very official tone. "Now who may I make this out to?"

"Edward…No make that Ed." The man stuttered as he watched Justin sign his book cover.

Just as Mike finished up penning his name on Ed's paperback book, Jessica lightly tapped him on the shoulder again. "Justin, will you tell your secretary that my cell phone is not your cell phone. By the way, where is your cell phone?"

"When _someone_ made me leave the room before checking, I left it behind." Mike accused with a huge smile as he snatched the hot pink cell phone from Jessica's outstretched hand.

Jessica gave him a shy apologetic look as he stole the phone from her.

"KITT, can't this wait 'til later?" Mike snapped.

"I need to know how many are in your party." KITT asked with a humorous laugh.

"5, now goodbye." Mike cutoff quickly and the tossed the phone onto the folding table in front of the red-headed Jessica.

Jessica rolled her eyes as she picked up her phone and asked, "Is that it or should I expect another call?"

Mike smiled unknowingly and then shrugged his shoulders. He knew that KITT was having difficulty dealing with the loss of the previously ever-present earwig. This was just KITT's way of dealing with the loss.

KITT had just discovered a new game: Call Michael and ask and easily solvable question every couple of minutes. If Michael was going to make KITT do all the work of planning these dates, then KITT was going to make a game of it. KITT smiled devilishly as he plotted his next question and the perfect timing of it.

Mike was getting good at this. Smile…Sign…Thank. It had become a pattern that he fell into easily. He had just finished his 3rd fan in like 3 minutes, when he heard the familiar sound of a cell phone playing music. After a few notes had played, Mike recognized the song and smiled knowingly. The song fit Jessica just perfectly, it was, These Boots are Made for Walking.

Jessica looked at the Restricted number and rolled her eyes as she practically threw the pink phone at Justin without answering it.

Mike was getting frustrated too. He was in the middle of signing a little remote controlled Mustang car for a little boy named Joe. He didn't have time to talk to KITT right now.

KITT on the other hand was enjoying the exchanged looks of frustration on both Michael's and Jessica's faces. Jessica was frustrated because of his constant barrage of calls. Michael was frustrated because KITT always picked the most inopportune time to call. 'Like that was a mistake.' KITT thought sarcastically.

Mike quickly pressed the talk button and then placed the still-turned-on cell phone on the table in front of him. If KITT wanted constant contact, then by golly he was going to get constant contact. Mike was just going to let KITT sit there waiting for him until he was ready. As for running out the phone's batteries, Mike didn't care. At least this kept KITT busy. He then went back to paying attention to his fans.

KITT didn't get it. Why didn't Michael turn the phone off? Why did he just set it down in front of him? Shouldn't he hang up and call again? KITT didn't know what to do now. So, he decided to just enjoy the sounds coming into the phone from both Michael and the fans. It wasn't the earwig, but at least it was something.

Mike went back to paying attention to his fans. He loved all these people and it seemed that they all loved him.

****************

A/N- I'm sorry to all of you that have been patiently waiting for this---My muse wasn't awake to this story for a whole month and then when it did start to show life, my computer lost the file. Grrrrr

Well, as you can see…I solved that issue.

Some side notes:

#1-Bruce Davidson is actually married to a woman named Michele and has a 3 year old daughter…I looked it up. Yey! and I bet she is beautiful (Both of them!)

#2- The replica I described was envisioned by Spidey2. I promised him a cameo in my little story. He has put a lot of work into the design of his KITT and he wanted me to show him off at the Festival, even if it's _my_ version of the Festival. :)

Thank You to everyone that has given me reviews!!!!! You ALL keep me inspired to keep going!

Take Care Everyone…and Enjoy!


	15. Cutouts, Cookies, and Commentary

Knight Rider Festival '09

Cutouts, Cookies, and Commentary

KITT hadn't realized how dependent he had gotten on hearing everything around Michael at all times. Even when none of the actions involved or needed to involve him, he felt comfortable just hearing it anyway. Now, that he had all of the camera angles and the cell phone's constant audio feed, he was content and just relaxed into the moment.

Mike soon forgot about the little pink cell phone sitting only about a foot away. He was deep into the excited moment of people constantly asking for signatures, hugs, and such.

However, an event would not be complete without....you know who...Yeah, there she was next in line and grinning her little red lips off, waiting with the whole group. This time their shirts were bright yellow and had the same red heart surrounding his picture.

There stood the world's happiest Justin's girls.

Mike groaned out loud but smiled inwardly. They were a good bunch of girls and they brightened up any event he had to attend. He was actually glad to see them.

What they had with them made Mike laugh out loud, "What is that?!"

Brittney giggled and then stood it on the flimsy conference table. "Don't you recognize a cardboard cutout of yourself?"

Mike looked the massive grinning cardboard man up and down completely confused but completely thrilled. And where did they get this picture of him? "Okay, when did I pose for this shot?"

The cardboard Michael Knight stood straight up like a stop sign but held both arms out and curled up flexing his massive bi-ceps. But that wasn't what bothered him. What made Mike giggle and the entire crowd around point and laugh in pure delight was the fact that the only piece of clothing he had on in this picture was a rather tight Speedo that had the iconic golden Knight Horse head directly front and center.

He looked like one of those Arnold Schwarzenegger body-building waxed-up manly men. It was Funny!

Brittney laughed her head off as she looked at Justin's reaction to the cardboard cutout. She knew that it was going to get an interesting reaction to say the least but she could tell that he found it just as funny as everyone else did. "As you can see, we have already gotten quite a few signatures. Now we need yours. So Justin, will you sign a _cute_ picture of you?"

Mike couldn't contain it anymore. This life-size rendering of himself was hilarious. He couldn't stop looking at his muscles and his Speedo at the same time. He busted up laughing. He laughed so hard that his side began to hurt and he started coughing. Finally with a suspicious grin, he asked, "And where do you want me to sign it?"

Brittney was now the one to blush and laughed out loud. She knew exactly where she wanted him to sign it. But that was purely up to him.

Mike then slowly uncapped his Sharpie and looked around the Autograph table. The whole event had suddenly turned silent and he had a sneaky suspicion why.

Sure enough, everyone all around the crowded and busy event had stopped what they were doing to watch Michael Knight autograph his absolutely wonderful cardboard cutout. The whole area actually seemed to get quieter...if that was possible out here in this open air event.

Mike was still blushing a soft pink and felt a slight layer of sweat form on his forehead. With Sharpie in hand, he leaned over slightly and looked for a good spot to sign the sign. He definitely was leaving the Speedo alone.

Mike suddenly covered up a whole portion of the cardboard cutout of himself with his body and then with an evil laugh, faked nervous glances in both directions. While still covering the life-sized cutout with his body, he curled up defensively and bowed his head to become a living wall as he began to feverishly write with his black Sharpie.

Everyone began to laugh raucously as they began snapping pictures of Mike's antics. Even KITT was finding this rather funny.

Still keeping up his game, Mike suddenly stood up straight and grabbed the freshly autographed sign board off of the table and hugged it nervously while he gave paranoid glances left and right. "Mine!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

The crowd couldn't help but laugh. He looked like a 2 year old deciding not to share his most favorite toy of all time.

Mike looked around the happily grinning crowd and then put on a pouty face. "Mine!" He yelled again in false defiance and then hugged the cutout of himself tighter. "You can't have it!"

Brittney was loving Justin's reaction to her Photoshop-edited cutout of him. She had hoped that he would like it. "Come on Justin," She happily teased like a mother trying to reason with a selfish child. "Gimmie the sign."

The whole event that had slowed to watch Justin sign the flattering cardboard rendition of Michael Knight, were now completely enveloped into the scene that was now playing out. Even Charles was venturing a wide grin at this odd display.

Brittney took a small step forward toward Justin and the cluttered autograph table. "Please?" She emphasized as she outstretched her hand.

Mike did the first thing that came to mind. He made a sudden wild biting movement toward her perfectly manicured hand. All he got was air and then screamed, "NO!"

Brittney quickly jumped backwards as she reflexively pulled her hand in close to her body. She knew that she wasn't in danger but he startled her. Within seconds, a huge devious smile spread across her face. She locked eyes with the playfully defiant Justin and then teasingly asked, "Wanna Cookie?"

Mike instantly replaced his pouty look with a huge pleading smile, "Cookie?"

The whole impromptu audience busted up laughing again. Here was a man in his 20's begging for a cookie like a 2 year old. This was priceless.

Brittney quickly dug into her Dooney Bourke purse and then slowly, teasingly slid a six pack of Oreo cookies out. She gave Justin a huge smile and then teased, "Cooookie."

Mike's grip on the rather handsome cutout loosened as he playfully licked his lips and stared longingly at the shiny deep blue wrapper. "Me want cookie!" He begged with a huge smile.

Brittney slowly ripped the edge of the Oreo wrapper and then carefully tore it down the full length of the packaging. With an air of purposeful teasing, she slid a black and white cookie free and held it up in the air in front of and just out of reach of Justin. "Justin want cookie?" She asked in a high childlike tone.

Mike definitely wasn't hungry but this game was great. He studied the wonderful cookie with eyes of wanting as he jokingly tried to swipe the sugary prize from Brittney's tiny hand. When he missed, Mike put on his pathetic pouty face again and whined, "Cookie."

Deanna gave Justin a _what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you_ head shake as she looked on with a huge smile. This definitely wasn't the Justin she had worked with on the TV show but he was just as much fun.

"Mikey want cookie?" Brittney asked as she waved the black and white delight in front of Justin.

Like an adorable puppy dog, Mike's brown eyes were huge as he solely concentrated on the cookie, "Yeah, gimmie cookie!"

In her best cutesy voice, Brittney announced, "Mikey want cookie; Mikey give me fake Man-Man."

For a second, Mike stood in firm silence, even the gathered crowd stayed quiet. Then suddenly, he bust out in a total selfish fit. "No! Mine! Mine! Mine! Get your own! Mine!" He howled as he hugged the cardboard cutout tighter and then swung it behind his back.

The whole audience busted up laughing again. This was better than a Las Vegas show for them.

Brittney had to physically try not to laugh. Justin's selfish display was so outrageously funny her whole body was shaking with laughter.

Mike continued to block the life-sized cutout with his body while simultaneously giving everyone the "Back Off" look. Also he added nervous right and left glancing into the mix.

Brittney took a couple of seconds to regain her composure and then dangled the delightful Oreo cookie just out of his reach again. "Mikey want cookie?"

Once again, his gaze locked longingly with the icing-filled morsel. "Cooookie," he mumbled low.

"I give Mikey cookie, if Mikey give me the fakey man." Brittney bargained with a huge smile as she waved the cookie around in front of his face.

Mike slowly brought the cardboard replica of him around and stood it in front of him. Suddenly, he hugged it tightly like he was saying goodbye to a close friend. Mike once again locked his brown eyes on the still-presented magnificently wonderful heaven-sent cookie. Brittney kept waving it at him just out of his reach.

With the speed of a striking Rattlesnake, Mike snapped the Oreo right out of her hand and then dropped the handsome cutout facedown on the autograph table. He hungrily shoved the whole cookie into his mouth and then hummed euphorically as he madly began chewing with his eyes closed.

Brittney quickly slid the newly signed cutout off of the table and then took 3 huge steps backward, all in one move. With her blue eyes still glued on Justin's display of a happily eating child, she stood the muscular cardboard male so as she could take a good look at him.

The next person in line took advantage of Brittney's sudden absence by quickly smacking down a small poster of Justin in his Soap Opera days onto the flimsy conference table. She gave his closed eyes a pleading look as she waited for him to recognize her.

Mike expected to continue the game when he finally opened his eyes. He took a step back in surprise when he saw a heavy-set Greek lady with long curly black hair nervously standing directly in front of him. However, he quickly retook his previous spot with a warm grin, "Hi.".

Before the dark haired woman with the deep black eyes could speak a single word, she was interrupted by another person with a rich black mane. "I am soo sorry everyone," the dark haired promoter sorrowfully announced. "But the hour for this splendid event has come and gone. The nice man in front of Deanna will be the last one for now. Don't worry though; we have a second autograph event planned at 3 o'clock. So don't you forget 3 o'clock?"

The extremely long line of people moaned sadly as the dark-haired promoter made his event-closing statement. There were still a good 50-75 people waiting patiently for their turn to meet their idols. Soon their soft plaintive moans turned into loud groans. They were more than a little bit unhappy. They were rather upset and they were going to display it vocally for all to hear. Most just complained loudly to their companions, who were in line with them. However, there were a select few that wanted the world to understand their pain.

The loud instigators yelled at the top of their lungs. Some yelled for more time. Some yelled at their favorite star for attention. Some yelled at the dark-haired promoter for not booking this event better. And some even yelled about how hot it was outside right now. It didn't seem to matter what was the subject, as long as they could yell about their frustration.

After listening to the once-happy crowd whine at the top of their lungs, Mike turned toward the raven-haired lady who was currently begging for his autograph and in a very serious but soft tone asked, "Would you please hold on a second? I have to try to yell above your head."

The curly haired Greek woman, going by the name of Tessa, gave her idol a quizzical look and then nodded an 'okay' in his direction.

At the very same moment that he was telling Tessa that he was going to be yelling through her, his never-stopping mind considered a different tactic. He quickly picked up Jessica's hot pink cell phone and asked, "KITT, are you still there?"

Of course, he was still listening in. This was his only auditory link to Michael and he was very happy with it. But would he reveal that to Michael? Heck No. "Yes Michael, I have not disconnected the line like you have done to me."

"Ouch KITT," Mike lightly chuckled and then turned serious. "KITT, can you amplify my voice so as the audience can hear me?"

"Yes Michael, what do you wish to say?" KITT was now intrigued.

"Just prepared the program and notify me when you are ready." Mike rushed KITT because he didn't want Tessa to wait much longer and the instigators that started this were quickly gaining support.

"Systems are ready. I have it set so that all you have to do is speak into the phone and every word will resound 50' in every direction from my current position." KITT proudly informed him. "When you are ready, begin."

"Testing, testing" Mike called out. The booming sound of his KITT-enhanced voice blared loudly.

Half of the noisy revelers instantly silenced when they heard the amplified voice boom. However, the other half continued their loud vocalizations, mainly because they couldn't hear his voice over their own. They were on a roll and it was surprising to hear that they had even taken time out of their endless taunting to breathe.

"HELLO!" Mike yelled into the hot pink cell phone.

Some more of the rowdy crowd settled when they realized someone was speaking. However, there were still two or three young guys trying to rile the peaceful crowd up.

Lieutenant Cast also decided at this point to position some of her team defensively. However, she was careful to keep it low-key. It has been a proven fact that having a visible police presence can cause a demonstrating crowd to turn riotous. So Lieutenant Cast was cautious without being pushy.

Mike, on the other hand, was getting frustrated with the rebel rousers. "Excuse Me?! May I have your attention, please?" He yelled forcefully into Jessica's cellular telephone. It was so loud and crude, Tessa took a full step back away from him.

"I want to personally thank you all for coming out this nice Saturday morning. I know that quite a few of you have come from far away to be here this morning for this very event." Mike continued in a softer more grateful tone. "I am both thankful and thrilled for your support and yes, I have been hamming it up for you all."

Mike paused for a second as he prepared to turn serious again. Now, the whole crowd stood silent in the wake of his words.

"Everyone here has worked very long and hard to put this great event together." Mike surmised in a very serious and even tone. In all actuality, Mike had no real idea. He just stumbled upon this Festival by accident. "So those of you acting like douches, and you know who you are, are ruining it for the rest of us."

Then Mike grinned a big cheesy grin and added with a chuckle, "Let's keep the Fest in this Festival."

The whole gathered audience groaned in unison and followed it with a _what-a-horrible-joke_ eye roll. As soon as they all realized that they had all done it at the same time, the whole crowd, be it kid or adult, busted out in a deafening roar of laughter. The outrageous laughter was so loud; guests playing Blackjack inside the Golden Nugget Casino wondered out loud what that noise was.

5


	16. My Personal Assistant: KITT

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**My Personal Assistant: KITT**

Mike tiredly slid into KITT's wonderfully comfortable driver's seat. The Autograph event had concluded about 20 minutes ago and it had taken that long for him to finish up with the last of his adoring fans and make his way over to KITT. Now, Mike sighed contentedly as he closed the lightweight door and re-aligned the seat.

All that busy morning's activities had completely worn off his energetic rush. The strong coffee, the sugary doughnuts, and even KITT's miracle drug all seemed to feel like they had worn off leaving behind a feeling of drop-dead exhaustion.

"KITT," Mike finally whispered with his tired eyes already closed. "Wake me a half an hour before the next event."

KITT had hoped Michael would use this momentary lapse in the very busy event schedule to retrieve his earwig. That had been the original plan, after all, but KITT had to agree, Michael needed a deep REM rest. So, he held back any snide remarks, unwanted comments, and all pleas for the earwig, opting instead to be helpful. "Michael, if you are having any trouble falling asleep, I can activate protocol Nancy Bravo Charlie 4 to assist you."

Mike let out a half-asleep chuckle and seconds later he was out cold.

KITT set the cabin temperature to 78 degrees, locked all his doors (like he really needed to), tinted all his windows to a light-impenetrable black, and then he shut down all his cabin lights except his globe-like voice modulator of which he turned down to it's lowest setting of light. Even though Michael didn't need that level of care to sleep at this moment, KITT felt obligated to make him as comfortable as possible.

KITT felt at peace now. He didn't have to patch into 12 different security systems simultaneously. He didn't have to come up with a new way to communicate to his driver using medieval amplifiers and microphones. He didn't have to keep scanning a crowd of seemingly happy revelers for a potential assassin. He didn't have to keep track of Theresa and Jessica's actions in fear of another possible embarrassing moment for Michael. The only things KITT had to worry about now were Michael's breathing and the time. KITT was FINE with that.

If KITT had known that he was about to be bombarded by curious telephone calls, he wouldn't have bothered to go into light/Restricted Recharge mode. Be that as it may, KITT had only been in Restricted Recharge Mode for only 10 minutes when his CPU registered an incoming telephone call. Most of KITT's memory was still inaccessible, so he had no idea who was calling him or why. Sarah, Billy, and Zoë usually contacted him through a private video chat line and Michael was happily snoring in his driver's seat. So, who was calling? Should he answer it?

Finally, a good 10 seconds later, KITT remembered that he was to expect a few phone calls today. So, with a bit of trepidation, he answered the ringing tone, "Hello, you have reached Michael Knight's Personal Secretarial Assistant, my name is KITT. How may I help you?"

"You really are going by the name of KITT? Wow!" Ellen pointed out the obvious with a gleeful giggle. "Well _KITT_, what should Gloria and I wear tonight?"

Females had always confused KITT. What did it matter what they wore as long as they were clothed? "You may wear whatever you wish." He proclaimed in a perplexed tone.

Ellen laughed at the secretary's obvious misunderstanding. "No KITT, I need to know what kind of evening you have planned. Should we dress formal or casual?"

KITT had booked a very interesting evening to say the least. According to his research, KITT found that a first date needed to be memorable. So he planned this evening to be very _very_ memorable. A night no one would forget.

"Do not dress in formal attire. The schedule does not call for it." KITT said like he was keeping a secret and essentially, he was. No one was to know the planned results until Michael had been made aware of them. "However, that is all I am at liberty to divulge. I apologize Ms. Owens."

"Come on KITT," She begged sweetly. "You can tell a poor old woman what she has coming to her."

Immediately, KITT's thoughts turned morbid. All he could think about was telling her that all humans can look forward to one thing in life, death. Whether they are young or old, handsome or smart, or tall or thin, it didn't matter. All living humans shared one common unavoidable fate, death. KITT hated that prospect with a vengeance. It meant he would ultimately be without his driver to protect. He would ultimately be without his technician to repair him. He would ultimately be without his _friends_ to guide him. He hated that and just turned silent in distant contemplation of his bleak future.

"Hello???? KITT are you there?" Ellen yelled out in slight worry when she didn't get a remark from him.

KITT was slightly startled to find that he was so easily lost in deep thought and he welcomed the voice jolting him back into the real world. "Yes, I am still here." He spoke a little more firmly than he wanted to. "As a response to your question: No, I cannot reveal any details to the forthcoming events of this evening. However, please be advised, they will not be boring and that is all."

"Oh, come on KITT, please?" She continued to beg mercilessly.

"I apologize. Now if there is anything further you wish to discuss, bring it up now. If we are finished here, I will disconnect the line after a short farewell." KITT noted flatly.

"KITT, are you really a car?" She asked softly as if she was asking for a piece of gum from a friend.

KITT was not a fool. This woman was not going to get him to reveal himself to her that easily. "No, I can be a truck, van, SUV, and/or any other vehicle on 4 wheels." He joked sarcastically. "However, I have a side job as a trained pony tomorrow. So I must be awake at dawn for practice."

Ellen laughed good-naturedly and fully to that last comment and then sighed contentedly before commenting, "KITT, will we be meeting you this evening?"

"Most likely, you will. However, I cannot make any promises at this time." KITT answered as sweetly and vaguely as he possibly could. Obviously she would see him. Obviously, she may even call that a meeting. But, as per actual communication between himself and her, that was bordering on the 'No'.

"You haven't given me a straight answer yet, KITT." Ellen observed correctly. "Now, is there anything you can tell me perfectly straight?"

KITT seemed to suddenly beam inside with an evil comment lurking deep but not so deep within his CPU. However, he held firm to his silence on that one and opted instead to be nice, "Yes, I can honestly say, you will get to meet and spend the evening with Michael Knight and you will enjoy it."

"Aw, how sweet." She cooed sweetly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. You have a good day KITT. Hopefully, I will get to meet you tonight."

"You also have a good day." He replied softly. "Be prepared and fully dressed at 6 o'clock sharp. And, be ready for a memorable evening."

"Thank You KITT." Ellen whispered back. "Goodbye KITT."

"Good afternoon." He responded smoothly and then cut the telephone connection.

At the conclusion of that seemingly light-hearted phone call, KITT nearly sighed with relief. Michael was the one to normally handle human relations. This was not his gallon of High Octane. He didn't want or really need to do this but KITT felt obliged to help even though it felt like he was driving a washboard and deep-pitted dirt road in cruise mode.

Speaking of Michael, KITT ran a full scan of his softly slumbering driver. He needed to know that the conversation that he held with the Owens woman hadn't jostled his sleeping partner out of his dream state. KITT smiled as he saw Michael's chest slowly rise and fall and his heart rate beat rhythmically with the soft breathing. Michael's closed eyelids fluttered for a second and then he grinned in his sleep. KITT just observed quietly for a little while completely content at having no other worries at the moment. Soon, his nearly depleted batteries asked for a recharge and KITT went into Restricted Recharge mode again while perfectly happy to have Michael continue his rest as well.

While Mike slumbered softly and KITT recharged carefully, the owner of the unique KITT, Two Thousand, replica returned. He, once again, took and appreciative walk around KITT before he attempted to climb into his KITT. Because he was so in awe of KITT, he wasn't paying attention to exactly what he was doing and miscalculated the distance between both KITT's and did the unthinkable. Stefen opened his Mustang's driver's side door just a little too fast and a little too wide and it happened. He winced in fear and anxiety as he heard the unmistakable sound of metal roughly meeting metal unceremoniously.

Even though KITT had been off in Restricted/light recharge mode, he didn't feel a thing. He didn't know that someone had tried to bash his door in with their door. He didn't know that the tall man that did it was carefully inspecting his black nanoskin for dents or scratches. All KITT knew was the darkness of recharge mode and the peace of Michael sleeping in his driver's seat. That was all he needed to know, right?

Stefen quickly jumped out of his replica in fear. He didn't want to damage anybody and he definitely didn't want to damage _this_ KITT. For some odd reason, he felt an odd fondness for this replica, so much so, he wanted to talk to it and have it talk back. He half expected it to on occasion, too.

He quickly jumped over to the other KITT and knelt down purposefully next to his passenger's side door. With a gentleness that could have been reserved for touching a newborn baby, he caressed the supposed spot where his door had met the impressive KITT.

He could hardly believe it. This KITT's paint was softer than silk and the black coating almost didn't even feel like there was anything there. Plus, it didn't have a single mark on it. Nothing. It just gleamed beautifully in the filtered noonday sun.

KITT was suddenly ripped out of his sweet recharge state by a proximity alarm. Someone was very _very_ near him and may even have touched him. The automated alarm also activated KITT's defense systems. Within a second of the alarm waking him out of his recharge mode, it warned viciously, "Please step away from the vehicle. I am equipped to defend myself."

Stefen had been wholly unprepared for the sudden threat that was flung his way and it startled him. The jolt that the voice had caused him made him lose his balance and he fell face-first into KITT. He didn't even have a chance to brace himself before his handsome face smacked hard against the soft surface of the black car.

The whole milling crowd quickly busted up laughing at Stefen's obvious pratfall. They couldn't believe that anyone would accidentally make a perfect face mark on a KITT replica. Why? But ohhh, what a perfect face mark it was...and they laughed as hard as their lungs would allow.

KITT came back to full awareness to see an odd scene. There was the man called Stefen trying desperately to fumble his way back onto his hunches as a quickly gathering crowd pointed at laughed at him. And from what KITT could glean off of the unusual circumstances, the Stefen guy had fallen against his door accidentally. But Why? Why was he so close to him? Why was he angled the way he was? Why was he even interested in him and not the replica he owned and cared for?

KITT needed answers. So he quickly searched the surveillance cameras for the answer. He didn't want to do this. He really didn't need to know but, he wouldn't be happy until he knew _exactly_ what was going on.

In the meantime, Stefen found his way back onto his unsteady feet. He felt truly embarrassed by the whole situation. Why had he let a simple recording of a voice cause him to do something so embarrassing? He looked forlornly at the greasy face print he left on the KITT, Three Thousand's passenger side door and decided that if he caused it, he should fix it. With a whisper only KITT, both of them, could hear, he ordered, "KITT trunk."

The Two Thousand replica instantly popped open his trunk lid.

KITT noticed instantly. Was this replica voice activated?

Stefen gingerly leaned over and dug deeply into the vast depths of his KITT's trunk compartment. He was searching hard for some cleaner and polish to fix the mark he left on the other KITT. With only a breathy whisper, he asked, "KITT have you seen the polish?"

KITT nearly jumped at the question. Was he asking him? Was he asking his car? Was he just being pithy? KITT didn't know and that's what scared him.

Nothing seemed to come of it though because at that very second, Stefen found his polish and some soft towels. He carefully folded the towel around his hand and dabbed a drop of pink polish onto its fuzzy yellow surface before he turned quickly on his boot heels to face KITT.

"Don't touch me!" KITT yelled in his mind but outwardly he spoke firmly, "Please do not touch the vehicle."

Stefen smiled fondly at KITT and remarked, "Oh really _Mister_? Then how do you expect that mess to be cleaned up?" as he took 2 steps forward toward KITT.

KITT smiled inwardly but warned, "Please step away from the vehicle."

Stefen wasn't taking no stupid alarm seriously and joked, "You need to be cleaned up _Mister_ and I am just the man to do it. Now get ready to get clean whether you like baths or not!" And then took 2 more steps toward the obviously high end KITT.

KITT wanted nothing more than to drive away from there or wake up Michael but both choices were not wise at this time. So, KITT's only defense was his words so far and he used them well. "This vehicle will defend itself."

"With what and using who's army, huh?" Stefen snickered as he looked for his face print on the perfect paint job.

KITT pondered his next move carefully. He couldn't do anything that might seem out of the ordinary from any other replica shining in the noonday sun on Fremont St. However, he wanted to make his intentions clear. No one was to touch him other than his family.

As KITT thought hard about his next move, Stefen was trying hard to find his face print on the passenger side door. It had been so clear, so visible that everyone in the crowd had seen it, but now it was undetectable. Simply gone. All that he could find was crystal clear over-coating over Midnight Black paint. How? He stood there with his mouth hanging open while staring in disbelief and awe.

KITT figured it out. He would fight towels with water and shot a perfectly aimed spray of windshield washer fluid right at the Stefen man. It soaked Stefen instantly and right where KITT had aimed. He laughed hard inside his CPU.

"Hey!" Stefen yelled loudly as he dodged the spray of water coming from the KITT car. "What was that for? I never touched you!" He laughed as he held up his towel against the onslaught of water.

KITT simply answered with a hint of merriment, "This vehicle will defend itself."

Finally, when the odd spray of water stopped, Stefen lowered the towel enough to tease the KITT car, "Nah, Nah, Nah, you missed me! Ha! And I thought that you said that you could defend yourself. Ha! Fat chance!" He provoked at the top of his lungs while he laughed his head off.

KITT was laughing just as hard inside his processor but he was still careful enough not to reveal himself. With the speed that could only be recorded on a high speed camera, he quickly smacked his passenger side door gently into Stefen. It could be compared to a playful sock in the shoulder from a good friend. Then he repeated in the very same flat tone, "This vehicle will defend itself."

"Ouch!" Stefen complained loudly. "Whatever happened to the preservation of human life, huh?" He teased as he took a few steps out of the range of the obviously malfunctioning door.

KITT merely responded, "Please step away from the vehicle."

Stefen finally decided to give it up for now. Whatever was happening had gone from Odd to just plain ridiculously weird in seconds. And only now was he recognizing it as such. With an odd look of fascination still plastered all over his handsomely chiseled face, he just stared at the KITT replica he was sure he was playing a game with. Then, he turned slowly and returned the towels and cleaner to his KITT's trunk and then he lazily climbed inside his Two Thousand replica.

KITT couldn't believe it was over. He was having fun. Stefen was turning into a possible new friend. Darn, how come he couldn't talk to him? Just a few words and they could _really_ have some fun. Then KITT quickly squelched that train of thought and focused again on Michael. His driver was still sleeping soundly and perfectly unaware of the whole event. Too bad, KITT wanted so much to share his excitement with Michael. Maybe later...Maybe.

KITT soon found that his recharge mode was still requesting at least 2 hours of his time. So since, everything seemed to be normal and status quo had been re-achieved he allowed the program to initiate. Soon, he was unaware of his immediate surroundings again.

Rachel had figured that any telephone number given to her by Justin Bruening had to be false. No actor in his right mind would give his personal number up to a perfect stranger who was an over-excited fan. She hadn't expected the phone line to ring when she called it and she hadn't expected a voice to respond to her call either. So, she actually chuckled gleefully when she heard his voice clear as a bell.

This time, KITT had gotten about an hour's worth of recharge when he was once again rudely awakened by a telephone call. Were these people _ever_ going to leave him alone? He just wanted some peace...I mean...How hard can it be?!

However, KITT could never be moody, right? Well, not this time. In his best rendition of a happy secretary that was well paid and well loved, he answered and traced the phone call. "Hello, you have reached Michael Knight's Personal Secretarial Assistant, my name is KITT. How may I help you?"

Rachel choked back a childish giggle as she recognized the voice that answered her as really truly belonging to _THE KITT_, the real life voice of KITT. No Way! She had to be hearing things there was just no way that this was really KITT. His voice was a rendering from a man named Kilmer. It couldn't be KITT. Could it? "KITT, is that really you?" She finally found the courage to ask.

"I am who I am" KITT answered in what he thought was a perfect metaphor that would throw the obviously excited woman off his trail.

"So, you are KITT? The really real KITT?" She asked jubilantly.

"My name is KITT yes." He answered in as much of a monotone voice as he could muster. "However, that is the extent of which I am KITT." He tried.

"Well, if you are the KITT of my dreams..." She paused as she tried to still her wildly beating heart. "You can never know the true love I have for you deep within my soul. I would die to make sure you live." Rachel vowed with all the determination of a mother bear protecting a cub.

"Well, I'll be sure that KITT never forgets that, okay?" He played it down as best he could. Then he decided a change of subject was desperately needed so he asked, "How may I help you?"

"My name is Rachel, KITT. I was given this phone number to find out about the details of my or maybe our evening out together. So, what can you tell me?"

"Not much. I can tell you that you will have a very memorable time and that you need not dress in formal attire. Other than that, I am not at liberty to tell you more, sorry."

"Well KITT, that's okay. I just need to know, when should I expect you and when will I return?" She asked as evenly as she could muster but was failing miserably as she tried to suppress another excited giggle.

"We shall arrive about 6 o'clock tonight and the evening should conclude around 11 o'clock tonight. May I ask you why do you need to know the time that your evening will conclude?" KITT asked curiously. There was no real need to it, just curiosity.

"My son's babysitter needs those kinds of details as well as contact numbers while we are gone." Rachel pointed out in the most serious tone she had ever taken with KITT. It almost sounded sad and shameful.

"Just post this telephone number on your contact board. I will be constantly in contact with Justin Bruening as well as you during the evening. If an emergency does arise, I will notify you immediately. Are we clear on that?" KITT reassured as best he could.

"Wow! I am going to be in constant contact with KITT...and he may be _THE KITT_. Oh My Gosh! Oh My Gosh!"

KITT knew that he was losing this one. She was quickly succumbing to a full-on excited fit of happiness and there was nothing he could say that was dispelling her conclusions. So, he decided that the best move in this kind of situation was the Duck-And-Run Technique. "Well, if that is all Ms. Flores, I have to go now."

"Oh My Gosh KITT, please don't hang up. It's not every day that I get an awesome opportunity like this. Please stay and talk to me. Please?" She begged sweetly and pitifully.

"What do we discuss?" KITT asked curiously but if he had known that this was just the kind of trick she would use to make him stay...He wouldn't have allowed: Curiosity to catch the KITT.

"How about we talk about one of your recent cases? Like, did you like visiting Mexico and using your submarine mode?" She asked searchingly.

KITT was stunned. No one was supposed to have known about his cases and surely only the employees of the SSC had any knowledge of his submarine mode! What was going on? This is not right! He definitely didn't want to discuss _that_ that was for sure. KITT did his best to collect his composure and then answered, "I'm sorry Ms. Flores, but I am not at liberty to discuss any of this. So I believe it would be in both our best interests for us to disconnect. Be prepared for departure at 6 o'clock this evening and be ready to have fun. And have a Good Day." Then he hung up before she could respond to him. He didn't want to know what she was going to say. He didn't want to hear her beg for more time with him. He just wanted this conversation to end and so be it, he ended it.

"What did I say?" Rachel cried into the long death tone of a cut telephone call. "I didn't mean to upset him. KITT, come back!" She cried plaintively.

Rachel's words still upset KITT to the core. Had the SSC been compromised? Was Michael safe? Were they being watched right now? Was anyone he knew safe?

That's it! KITT wasn't getting any sleep NOW. That's for sure.


	17. While You Were Sleeping

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**While You Were Sleeping **

That's it! If he wasn't here, she was going to have to give it up. She had already checked his Presidential Suite at the Corsica Casino. This was the only other logical location he could have been hiding in. So with a silence she would have reserved for a public library, she carefully tried to peer through the impossibly black windows. She made an extreme effort not to touch _his_ KITT. If she so much as smudged these windows, he could possibly become mad at her. So, she carefully cupped her hands over her eyes and hovered as near to the opaque glass as her Irish nose would allow.

KITT's loud and annoying proximity alarm woke him up once again. Wait. When had he gone into Recharge Mode? He hadn't even realized that he had allowed that program to initiate. And even as the proximity alarm wailed its warning, KITT tried denying that he was in Recharge Mode just the way he had denied the highly annoying alarm. Neither program would allow KITT to ignore them. However, the unrelentingly annoying alarm ended up winning in the end and KITT activated his powerful external sensors at the same time the Automated Defense System sounded its warning. "Please step away from the vehicle."

She hadn't expected the threatening Voice of Doom to sound its recorded warning but a stupid alarm like that wouldn't startle her, Jessica Lighthouse. "Put a sock in it." She grumbled softly as she shifted around hoping to find a spot that would allow her to look inside the expensive Mustang.

KITT was slightly taken aback by her casually given rude comment. She didn't need to be mean. But then, he just considered the source of the unneeded commentary and that helped him just fluff it off.

KITT fearfully checked his chronometer and knew that he had made a serous mistake. Even though Mike had carefully ordered him to wake him up, KITT hadn't seen the need to set a separate alarm. Now he was beginning to regret that decision.

Finally, she gave it up. There was no way in the world she could see if he was in this KITT or not. The windows were just too darn dark. So, she disobeyed the strictly-given 'Step Away' order and opted instead to make her presence known to everybody within 25 feet of KITT. While wincing hard in preparation of a high-frequency car alarm, she roughly banged on the darkly-tinted window with the palm of her hand. "Justin, are you there? If you are, Get out of there, _NOW_! The second session of the Question and Answer event starts in 3 minutes and you are required to attend." She stated very matter-of-factly in a very harsh tone.

Jessica's abrupt actions had an unforeseeable outcome. As she was pulling back her raised hand to cruelly rap against the darkly tinted window of Justin's KITT, an unknown hand firmly grabbed onto her thin wrist preventing her from catching Justin's attention. With both surprise and disgust evident in her emerald-green eyes, Jessica whipped around and glared viciously at the obviously incompetent fool who didn't know just who he was dealing with. In her most dark and ominous voice, she growled through her tightly gritted teeth, "Release me before you lose an arm."

The tall owner of the unique KITT, Two Thousand replica had seen the tiny red-head trying to peek inside the really authentic looking KITT, Three Thousand. He smiled as he wondered how that KITT owner had managed to hook such a cute little red head. Stefen's emotions switched from a longing wonder to a disbelieving protectiveness for KITT faster than the reels on a nearby slot machine could spin. 'How dare she beat on the windows of a KITT?' He thought as he leaped out of his KITT, Two Thousand to confront the furious red-head.

Stefen hadn't expected the level of rage the fiery little red-head had flung his way. Yeah, he expected her to be startled and somewhat mad. But, no way, was he expecting her to be so furious over a little wrist grab. "Hey, hey calm down. I'm not the enemy here." He whispered defensively as he released her small hand and waved both of his hands in the air. "Now, can you tell me why you were trying to break the window with that cute little hand?" He asked inquisitively as he took a tentative step to place himself in between her and the KITT, Three Thousand.

"Excuse Me?" Jessica asked in a barely reigned in furious tone. "You have no idea what is going on and it would be really wise for you to climb back into your little replica and forget that you ever met me."

'Wow, this girl is a little fireball.' Stefen thought as he firmly held his spot between the clearly pissed-off girl and the silent KITT, Three Thousand. Stefen then gave her an appraising glance as he coolly stated, "I would never have bothered you if hadn't have started smacking KITT. What did he ever do to you?"

Jessica gave this moronic guy a _what-are-you-insane _look. He had no business butting his nose into her affairs and she was quickly losing her cool with him. She locked her piercing green eyes with his cool blue and then drew in a preparatory breath before she finally said, "Whoever you are, thank you for your concern but you obviously have no idea what kind of mess you are currently getting into. So, take your happy Good Samaritan rear-end back to your weird Mustang replica before I have you and that _thing_ towed away as garbage. Got it? Or do you need an English to Idiot translator."

Suddenly, Stefen's whole face brightened with a magnificent smile. He was finally getting a feel for this Jessica lady. Now it was his turn to lob a threat her way. 'Okay, if she wants to play hardball...Let's see how Her Highness handles this.' He thought with a huge mischievous smile. "You know that you are absolutely beautiful when you are angry. Would you like to join me for dinner this evening?"

KITT didn't know what to make of this whole situation. First of all, he was frustrated at Jessica for smacking his window like some kind of ex-boyfriend he saw on a TV soap opera. Just as he was going to _shock_ her into quitting, his new friend Stefen not only stopped her in mid-swing but he also placed himself in the line-of-fire by protectively standing between her and him. KITT was very grateful for that. But human nature never ceased to amaze him and today was obviously not going to be an exception to that.

KITT was definitely under the impression that Jessica and Stefen had a mutual dislike or even hate for each other. The way she kept threatening his existence as well as his interesting KITT was evidence enough for him. So when had it changed? When had the angry thoughts changed into the emotion of love? 'Humans are such a perplexing species,' he thought as he waited for Jessica's response.

Jessica was just ramping up for another snappy verbal assault on the tall sandy-blonde haired man standing in between her and KITT when he shocked her senseless with his sweet invite. The nice proposal was so unexpected she choked on her previous words and then gasped. 'Was he serious?' She thought to herself. 'Does he really expect me to answer that?'

Before she could catch her breath and/or stumble over her tongue-twisted response, he locked his confident clear blue eyes with her terrified green as he continued a soft smile. She couldn't help but reciprocate his contagious smile. No male had ever withstood the Hail and Brimstone of Jessica without trembling in fear or letting loose their own version of her rampage. And 'NO Man' had ever knowingly wanted to see her again once they had seen her dark side firsthand. This was truly a surprise and what a pleasant surprise it was.

She eyed him questioningly as she asked, "Why? What in the name of all that is beautiful and good would possess you to ask _me_ out?"

Stefen's soft affectionate smile turn mischievous as he said, "It seemed only right. I figured that if you can hit on KITT then I should be able to hit on you. Did it work? You haven't given me an answer. Should I make plans for two tonight?"

Jessica gave him an unbelievable stare. In one way, this sounded like a sick prank. In another way, this sounded like a genuine offer. 'Is this really happening to me?' She asked herself as she searched his handsome smile for any tell-tale signs of this being a joke of the poorest taste. All she could see was a glint of mischief in his clear blue eyes and that wasn't helping her at all.

KITT was dying to know her answer now. He could tell by her elevated body temperature and her obvious ruby-red blush that she had an attraction to the tall man. KITT smiled internally. Human relationships still confused him. Why was she taking so long to express her feelings? Should he intervene and answer for her? He quickly thought better of it and just watched it unfold like a Spanish Television Novella.

Stefen had only asked as a joke at first but as soon as he saw her face turn red and heard her meek gasp, he knew, that she was taking this seriously. That just made him realize just how beautiful she really was. Her strawberry blonde hair glistened in the filtered light of the Fremont St Experience and it looked as soft as the finest hand-wove Chinese silk known to man. Her deep emerald-green eyes were perfectly highlighted by her soft pale-pink skin. The only shortcoming he could see between the two of them was her tiny frame. While he stood a tall, muscular 6'2", she had to be at least a foot shorter and 50 pounds lighter. But, who cares! She was beautiful.

However, Stefen wasn't the only one inspecting his dating prospects. Jessica was giving him a thorough looking up and down and she couldn't say that she didn't like what she saw. Yeah, he was tall but that just meant that there was more of him to love. Speaking of love, she absolutely loved his golden-brown hair. It just highlighted his clear blue eyes and perfectly chiseled face magnificently. And how could she say no to such a perfectly molded and toned body? She smiled devilishly at the thought and then she drew in a deep mind-stabilizing breath before she said in a tone so soft that KITT was glad that he was only a foot away, "If I say yes, you aren't going to take me to a Hoe-Down, right?"

Stefen gave a scoffing chuckle as he smiled affectionately at the suddenly-shy red head.

At that same moment, KITT crossed out that idea from Michael's dating itinerary for this evening. The look on Stefen's face showed that the Hoe-Down option was ridiculous in his mind and if he didn't like it, then maybe Michael wouldn't either.

"Okay, cowboy bars are out." Stefen joked lightly as he showed his pearly whites. "Anyway, I had you pegged as a biker bar kind of girl."

That earned Stefen a light sock in the arm from a rather tiny fist. She knew that she had earned the reputation of being a little rough but come on…a biker bar? But that cheesy, toothy grin was making it really hard for her to be mad at him. With her own cheesy grin firmly in place, Jessica added, "And I have you pegged as a 70's Disco joint kind of a guy. Am I wrong?"

His big cheesy grin grew bigger and with a glint in his eye, he added, "And wouldn't you like to know?"

They stood in silent appreciation of each other for a long time. Neither one wanted to be the one to end their witty banter.

KITT took that as a sign that a 70's Disco joint was a great idea and added it to the list of places Michael should consider for this evening's entertainment.

Stefen couldn't take the silent indecision anymore. So, he asked hopefully, "Sooooo… Will KITT and I have company this evening?"

Jessica quickly spun around on her hot-pink high heel to face Stefen's KITT, Two Thousand Mustang Replica. Not more than a few minutes ago, she was putting it down as a piece of rotting junk. Now, she was regretting her vicious comment. Actually, it was a beautiful car. In her softest most apologetic tone, Jessica stated, "I'm sorry for calling your car a piece of junk…"

Before Jessica could finish giving her sincerest apology, Stefen placed his long index finger on her ruby-red lips and the whispered, "Shhh, don't think another second about it. It's already forgotten. Now," he continued as he removed his finger from in front of her soft kissable lips. "The only words I want to hear from you are whether or not I get the distinct pleasure of your company this evening."

Jessica had a shiver run down her spine when his strong finger touched her sensitive lips and if it had been some stupid punk trying to put a move on her, she would have bit the whole tip of his finger right off at the knuckle. For some odd reason, she had the exact opposite reaction to this guy. 'Weird!' She idly thought.

Jessica's mixed up mind then wrapped around her handsome suitor's last request. The longer he stood in front of her smiling sweetly like that, the more she wanted to leap into his strong arms. Jessica carefully contained that desire and asked instead, "Well, if I am going to go on a date with a guy I just met 5 minutes ago, I had better at least know his name."

KITT groaned with frustration inside his CPU. 'Just say yes already. You know you want to.' He grumbled to himself as he watched the drama unfold. This _was_ better than a Spanish Novella.

Stefen raised a light brown eyebrow at her _interesting_ statement. "Is that a 'YES' and my name is Stefen."

KITT laughed despite all his efforts not to. He found Stefen's straightforwardness very refreshing. And the way it made Jessica shift nervously wasn't helping KITT contain his amusement.

Jessica smiled shyly for maybe the first time in her life since she was an awkward teenager in Junior High School and she hadn't blushed this much since then either. While trying to maintain some resemblance of composure, she decided eye contact was out of the question. Her blush always seemed to be the reddest when she gazed into those crystal blue eyes. With her downcast eyes staring at his huge feet, Jessica smiled softly and then said…

"KITT, what's going on?" Mike grumbled as he straightened up his leather driver's seat.

Darn it! Now, he was never going to know what she said and they were both laughing companionably. KITT sighed and then answered, "Jessica Lighthouse rudely beat on my window and then Stefen intervened. I am watching them curiously.

"KITT, don't become a snoop." Mike snickered as he prepared to jump out. The long nap was great but he really needed to get out and stretch.

"I was not snooping." KITT defended almost guiltily. "I am merely keeping up my surveillance. The fact that they are standing within a foot of me is purely happenstance."

Mike sighed in frustration and then rolled his eyes skyward. With a quirky smile that he knew KITT couldn't read, Mike slowly climbed out of KITT into the early afternoon heat.

The sudden appearance of Michael Knight out of the darkly tinted silent KITT car startled both Stefen and Jessica. As if that wasn't enough to make Mike smile, both of them started blushing a soft pink. "Do I need to get the hose?" Mike joked with a massive grin.

Jessica's expression at first was pure shock and disbelief but instantly it transformed into just terrified shock. She had just remembered why she was there. "OH MY GOD! WE ARE SOOO LATE!" She yelled in a simply terrified tone as she grabbed Justin by the elbow. She worriedly checked her rose-red Ed Hardy watch as she began to drag Justin toward 1st St.

Mike gave Jessica a bewildered look as he refused to budge from his spot next to KITT.

Jessica glared at him furiously as she violently tugged on his muscular arm and growled, "We are already 10 minutes late! Now pick up those lazy feet and _MOVE_!"

Mike rolled his eyes sarcastically as he allowed Jessica to lead him away but that didn't stop Mike from quickly glancing over his shoulder at Stefen with an evil grin and joked, "And you wanna date _her_?"

********************

A/N: Sorry I haven't posted an Author's Note in a while…I have been sooo excited to finish each chapter that I had forgotten to do this.

Thank You ALL!!!! for Reading, Reviewing, and just plain Enjoying this story. You are all so wonderfully nice!

Special Thanks to the following people for all your awesome reviews…Bucklewinner, Spidey2, WhiteDino, and my anonymous reader *smiles*… I also want to thank Emma's Angel for a Beta Read! You Rock Girl!

*Hugs* to you all…

As Always,

Take Care and Enjoy!


	18. House of Dominos

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**House Of Dominos**

Jessica, the red-headed apprentice, practically dragged Mike the two blocks to the 1st St stage. For only being 5'1" tall, she was fast. But maybe it had more to do with her aggressive tendencies instead of her relative speed. Jessica was elbowing, pushing, and yelling at anyone who stood in her way. Mike kept having to apologize as the shocked people who had been rudely shoved aside glared at him. He considered ripping free of her tight grip but he knew that the scene she could cause would be epic. Anyway, they were almost there.

Meanwhile, KITT had a real dilemma. A lot of people had seen Michael get out and leave him behind but KITT wanted to be at the very public event to protect his driver. Now, how was he going to accomplish this without being noticed?

From about 10 feet away, the dark-haired promoter spotted his strawberry blonde assistant hurriedly making her way through the dense crowd. She had promised him that she would have Justin at this event on time. Now, as he worriedly checked his Casio watch for what seemed like the 16th time, he shook his head with a bit of sadness. He was usually a very nice and fair boss but he couldn't allow so many failures to go unnoticed. Save that for later, he had a major actor to introduce.

As Mike approached the crowded stage, he could see the same conference table layout as before. Besides himself, he could see that someone was missing...Someone important.

Sarah wasn't sitting in one of the most-uncomfortable metal, folding chairs and looking bored. Every event Mike had attended, she was right there by his side. Even though she was a clone and not the really real Sarah, Mike was still comforted by her constant presence. His heart sank a bit.

"Welcome everyone to the Second Session of the dual Q & A and Autograph Event!" The dark haired promoter enthusiastically announced. "May I introduce your wonderful Knight Rider performers? The first spot next to me is Paul Campbell. Billy, you wanna say a little something to your audience?"

Mike stopped cold in place to watch the Billy clone give a witty speech.

The Billy clone gave his trademark cheesy grin as he stood up. He then startled the entire crowd by loudly clearing his throat straight into the sensitive microphone and to make it worse, he kept it up for an entire minute. "Ahhh- hhh- eeeemmmm - mmmn!" Half the rapt audience was laughing freely while the other half was groaning and rolling their eyes skyward.

Billy suddenly went silent as he stared off into the distance unblinking. He had the whole audience transfixed on him. No one in the whole audience, even children, said a thing as they waited for him to continue.

"We are Family! I got all my sisters with me!" He started singing very badly with a huge smile.

The whole audience, including one Michael Knight groaned loudly as he pondered joining Billy in the song.

"What? Is this not America's Got Talent?" He joked with a huge belly laugh.

Finally, when he had regained some relative sense of composure, the Billy clone then turned real serious and stated, "All joking aside, I want to thank you all for coming out here to see me. It was one great show and one heck of a fun year. You wanna know what the best part of that year was? You guys! The Fans. Hearing about how many of you loved the show and seeing all of you standing here right now makes me definitely want to return next year. Thank You All! Give yourselves a hand, you deserve it too."

Everyone nodded slightly and then clapped respectively as they watched the Billy clone retake his seat next to the Dr. Graiman clone.

Meanwhile, two blocks away, KITT was hard at work plotting another ingenious idea. He had already patched into all of the Fremont St Experience surveillance cameras that had even a partial view of Michael. He even commandeered the surrounding cameras to keep a watchful eye on the ever-growing crowd. To him, however, it still seemed largely inadequate.

And then _it_ struck him hard like a burned out circuit. 'It just might work.' He deviously commented to himself while he hurriedly finalized the minute details of his ingenious plan.

KITT then put his powerful transmission into Neutral and then slowly released his Parking Brake. There was only a slight decline in the slope of the cement walkway where he sat but he very much intended to use any advantage he could.

At first, he did not move and he began to believe that he was going to have to ignite his powerful motor in Silent Mode to help move this project along. But gravity never gives up easily.

It began infinitely slow with a millimeter by millimeter crawl and if KITT wasn't a computer, he wouldn't have noticed the slight movement at all. But KITT is a computer and a super-intelligent one at that.

As millimeters increased to centimeters, KITT calculated the rate of increase of speed against the distance he would have to travel to get to his ultimate destination. As soon as he had the proper solution, he calculated the time it would take him to arrive. He needed this to be precise; right down to the millisecond.

As KITT was slowly propelling backwards at an inchworm's pace, the dark haired promoter introduced the next Knight Rider performer seated at the flimsy conference table. "Thank You Paul for that wonderful speech. We really are family, aren't we folks?" He excitedly coaxed the audience. "Now, will you all give it up for the resident genius of the show and all around good guy, Bruce Davison aka Dr. Charles Graiman!"

The entire gathered audience burst out in a deafening roar of applause and yelling. They kept up their excited cheers and clapping at least a couple of minutes and some really excited fans even began to chant, "Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!"

The dark-haired promoter absolutely loved how the wonderfully great fans of this awesome show were showing their love for their hardworking actors. Just this perfect moment in time was well worth all of that backbreaking work over the past year. He smiled with delight and contentment as he allowed the chanting crowd to continue.

One handsome face in the sea of happy revelers concentrated hard on the clone-like man that had been answering to the honorable name of Dr. Charles Graiman. Even though he had set up a not-so-private meeting with the Dr. Graiman clone for later on this evening, Mike was still lost in astounded wonder at the very sight of the elderly man he had believed had passed away. Mike felt a cold shiver run down his spine as his brown eyes met the man he had once considered a surrogate father and a very good friend.

Dr. Graiman reveled in the loud adoration of the roaring crowd. He would have never believed that in 100 years he would have a crowd _this_ big chanting his name _this_ loud over a TV show character he happened to play. This was unbelievable.

Then his warm grey eyes locked with a very familiar face in the massive audience. "What is Justin doing down there and why is he looking at me like that?" Bruce wondered out loud as he tried to read the odd look he was getting from Justin.

As Mike was still trying to come to terms with the surprising reappearance of Dr. Graiman, KITT was rapidly gaining momentum. He had gone from centimeter-by-centimeter to inch-by-inch and now he was really traveling fast at foot-by-foot. No one had noticed his slow progression backwards which was why he was doing it this way in the first place.

As KITT entered the shadowy depths of the deserted alleyway in between the Corsica Casino and the Golden Nugget Casino, he initiated Phase 2 of his ingenious plan. Since he would be practically blind during his transformation he came to a full stop behind the very same Waste Management dumpster he had used yesterday.

KITT smiled knowingly as he carefully calculated the very last variables of this transformation. The nice part about this choice of bodies was that he had full access to her top-secret schematics. Yes, he meant her. KITT smirked as he thought about it. This was a replica event after all.

About 30 seconds after he had sought the shelter of a fly-ridden dumpster, he finally initiated his transformation program.

At first, nothing happened…that was outwardly visible at least. On the inside, however, every perspective and aspect of his new body was being mapped and transmitted to his futuristic transformation program.

The highly responsive nanotechnology never questioned the new commands. Its job was to do unquestioningly…and it did it well. The extremely shiny gloss of KITT's deep Midnight Black paint shimmered like a distant star on a moonless night. The beautiful special effect only lasted a half a second.

Then came the Ultimate Event…an event that only a select few people in all of existence had ever witnessed firsthand…KITT's Transformation.

The glowing shimmer that was the deepest colorless black ever known to man converted to a brilliant Fire Engine Red beginning at the front bumper. And speaking of front bumpers, the lower ground sweep with the Superman Blue Xenon lights flipped up and under KITT's undercarriage and the remaining nanobots were assimilated into his solid frame.

Next, came the front grille and KITT's dual scanner. The vehicle he wished to accurately mimic was Knight Industries and did contain an AI but didn't have a visible scanner. KITT's brutishly square grille became more streamlined and his impossibly black color changed to the bright red color of the front bumper along its trim. He also added the shiny galloping Mustang Horse logo in chrome. It was after all part of her image.

KITT then cloaked his dual eye-like scanner with a thick plastic mesh that was a light absorbing black on the inside facing his scanner and a highly-reflective mirror-like coating on the outside facing toward the curious world or anyone soaking up the view of his beautiful new body.

Now, the most visible changes were about to occur and in quick succession. First came the hood. It elongated slightly and then formed small air scoops at the very top. They were slightly bumped up and oval shaped. But they weren't the most visible change to the hood…That happened to be the 2 bold white Racing Stripes. They started at the front of the car and ran up the hood and down the back. They were added at the same time as KITT added the dominant color of Fire Engine Red.

Everything started changing even faster now. The front quarter-panels both narrowed out and changed to the bright red. And they were quickly followed by KITT's front wheels almost seeming to get smaller as KITT lowered his front end and changed his wheel style into a 5-point star-shaped chrome.

Next, came the windshield and roof changes. KITT's windshield changes were easy to do; all he had to change was the depth of the slope. He just made it steeper. Now he quickly focused on the convertible top, it would have been more difficult if he hadn't have converted into a topless Mustang as his Halloween costume last year. Seeing as he knew how to convert into a convertible and he had all of her top-secret schematics, the seamless conversion from a glossy black hard top to a soft tan polyurethane was instantaneous.

KITT then focused solely on the tan interior. He hated having to convert his beautiful black leather into a pretty, soft tan. But what _really_ upset him was the fact that he had to wall off his back seat. The Fire Engine Red Mustang GT he was copying didn't have a backseat. So, he carefully gathered the much-needed nanobots from his backseat design of which he didn't need. And then, he programmed them to form the soft tan upholstered wall.

Then, he quickly converted his globe-like Voice Modulator into a small 7" in-dash LCD monitor with the name Domino inscribed in gold letters at the bottom.

KITT then tinted his windows and worked on the safety bar. The roll bar was formed at the exact level as the very top of the windshield and directly above the tan headrests. It looked gaudy to KITT but he was a real stickler for safety and he even included the large brake light that showed in his documents.

And speaking of safety features, KITT also added the behind-the-seats body lifts to his trunk. They were also the starting point for the continued design of the white racing stripes. The safety lifts looked like they added a bit of character while preventing a possible head crush in a roll over accident…Like that would ever happen! But safety first.

KITT then quickly finished off his new look. He hurriedly converted the rest of his body into the bright Fire Engine Red color and continued his Bold White Racing Stripes right down his truck and over his spoiler. Of which, he protruded farther out and curved upward. However, the stripes ended there as he finished off his new look with his new license plate: DMO-1.

Once KITT felt confident that he was fully transformed, he quickly ran an error checking program through his highly advanced nanoskin. He programmed it to look for any anomalies between him and his intended form, Domino.

The diligent error-checking program found a couple of measurable errors and he quickly smoothed over them as fast as he could. He needed to finish this up now and go to Michael's side.

The second wave of the error-checking program once again shivered over KITT's highly sensitive nanoskin as it mapped and measured out KITT's new form, a 1997 Mustang GT convertible. It came back with a flawless result and KITT seemed to glow with happiness.

"Thank You Bruce! That was an eloquent speech." The dark haired promoter announced joyfully as his dark eyes searched the crowd. "Now, may I introduce our next gracious performer?" He asked sweetly as he pointed happily toward the empty space next to the Dr. Graiman clone. "So Mr. Bruening, are you just going to stand there or are you coming?" He joked as he locked his dark playful eyes with Justin's soft brown.

Mike gave the dark haired promoter a big toothy grin and then hollered from his crowded spot amongst the masses, "Break Time!"

The dark haired promoter grinned like a cat that just ate the canary and joked, "And what do you think that was, sir? Now get up here and give these people what they came for!"

"No!" Mike yelled forcefully while he grinned playfully from his spot in the massive crowd.

"Justin Bruening! Get your talented rear-end up here now!" The dark-haired promoter ordered like a pissed off mother on her last thread of patience while he was grinning just as big as Justin.

"Who's Justin? I'm Mike Traceur!" He yelled even louder.

The whole crowd laughed as they watched the dark haired promoter roll his eyes skyward with an over-the-top frustrated groan.

Mike locked his warm brown eyes on the dark haired promoter and then he devilishly smirked as he yelled, "Make Me!"

With that, the happily gathered crowd shyly took a few steps back away from Justin. They were thoroughly enjoying the playful banter between him and the announcer guy but they didn't want to be in the line-of-fire if something came flying their way.

No one seemed to notice the bright red Mustang GT with the bold white Racing Stripes, which was exactly what KITT was going for. The only time the obviously oblivious crowd seemed to notice the slowing moving sports car was when KITT gently nudged the back of their legs. All of them seemed to give KITT questioning glares as they reluctantly stepped aside to let the bright red nuisance pass. That was until…

"Oh My God! That's Domino!" A tall heavy-set sandy-blonde long-haired man in his late 30's yelled at the top of his lungs.

Everyone turned to face KITT at the same time. It would have been an interesting sight to watch because it looked like the whole audience was doing 'the wave' as they turned to see what everyone was talking about. But KITT wasn't paying attention to that. He was currently the center of everyone's attention and that was making him shift nervously inside his CPU and come to a full and complete stop. This was not good.

In actuality, only about 35% of the people in this massive crowd knew who they were looking at. The rest just seemed curious for the most part.

Mike hadn't bothered to read the files on TKR yet. He did, however, have an idea about their efforts over 12 years ago but he had no idea what the big deal was. So, this was another Mustang GT to him. This one had to be over 10 years old and it was bright red instead of Midnight Black like his KITT but the one thing Mike did love about it, it was a convertible. Nice!

KITT solidly held his spot on the outskirts of the gathered crowd of revelers enjoying the Q & A event. He had seen Michael glance quickly in his direction and had noted his appreciation but then watched him look away just as quickly. That's when KITT realized that his driver had no idea what or who he was actually looking at.

At first, KITT thought that maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all especially when Michael didn't seem to recognize him. But then, KITT had another _brilliant_ idea swish through his ever-processing never-halting CPU and it made him grin mischievously on the inside.

Mike had idly turned back toward the dark haired promoter and grinned devilishly. He had every intention of going onstage and doing his part. But why rush it? This wasn't a job as per se. This was a purely voluntary fun event and he was going to do his part to keep the fun aspect alive.

"I know that I am talented but thanks for the confirmation!" He quickly quipped before he challenged with a huge grin spread out all over his handsome face, "I am on a break. So until my time is up, please continue." And to top it off, he gave a 'go-on' wave.

The whole crowd had refocused on Michael and the dark haired promoter. They had all stopped paying attention to the bright red Mustang that was KITT. So, he carefully continued to blaze a trail toward his oblivious driver by gently nudging people aside. Surprisingly, no one seemed to really mind standing aside to let him through.

However, one diligent specially-trained individual did happen to notice and she didn't like what she saw. She carefully watched as the ancient red Mustang convertible was maneuvering way too close to Mr. Bruening. Finally, she had had enough, it was now a threat!

"Baker! Espinoza!" Theresa gruffly barked into her high tech Walkie-Talkie like radio. "Cut off that red Mustang!"

"Copy!" They both confirmed in unison as they weaved through the ever thickening crowd on a heading straight for the red Mustang.

"Jamison! Franklin! Flank It! Don't let it reverse into the crowd!" Theresa ordered.

"Copy!" They both yelled simultaneously as they exited the alcove/overhang of the Golden Nugget Casino.

"Heath! I want you to cover the driver's side. Use the tazer if necessary!" Theresa continued as she made her way toward their target.

"Copy Lt. Cast…Tazer permission confirmed!" A husky voice hollered back promptly.

"Logan! Cover the passenger's side! You may also use the tazer if necessary!" Theresa firmly ordered as she positioned herself only 10 feet away from the soon-to-be unfolding action.

Baker and Espinoza arrived first and boldly stepped in front of the bright red spots car. They were a united front as they stood only 1 foot apart from each other while they fiercely faced their intended target. The bright red sports car had just stopped cold only 2 feet in front of them. Instinctively, they skillfully withdrew their gun-shaped plastic tazers and viciously pointed them at the Mustang. "FREEZE!"

Jamison and Franklin quickly arrived at their ordered position at the back of the stopped Mustang. They instantly crouched as they raised their electronic weapons to eyelevel.

Within a second of Jamison and Franklin's defensive actions, Officer Heath arrived on scene with her highly advanced tazer already aimed and ready to fire. Before she had even slowed down, she growled at the top of her lungs, "Don't you dare move!"

The previously jovial crowd began to panic again and they were starting a mad stampede in every direction that was away from the errant Mustang and the frightening police presence.

The screaming and pushing mob was making it real difficult to nearly impossible for Lieutenant Cast to keep a watchful eye on both the threatening red menace and the perplexed actor, Justin Bruening. She shifted her position two more times but she still couldn't keep a solid visual on Justin Bruening.

"Please everyone, settle down!" The dark haired promoter screamed pleadingly into his sensitive microphone. "There is nothing to be afraid of. They are merely performers and this is just a show being played for you entertainment!" He tried to his level best to reason while he was screaming.

However, nothing seemed to be stopping the sheer level of chaos that was unfolding on Fremont St in Las Vegas, Nevada.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: What a daunting chapter! I spent 5 hours researching Domino…She is a beautiful car! But Wow!

To My Reviewers: Thank You again for your wonderful kindness! I really really appreciate how wonderful you are for sticking around with me and telling me what you think.

I wish to apologize to MrLovesDc and TropicalAngel…you both also gave me reviews and somehow I missed showing my appreciation…Thank you guys!

Okay everyone, tell me what you think about the transformation scene. I am still learning how to write action scenes and could use the encouragement to improve upon it.

Thank You All for reading and reviewing this Chapter! _and_ as Always…

ENJOY!


	19. The Negotiator

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**The Negotiator**

KITT had never been afraid in his whole entire life. Even as he faced down his most violent and malevolent enemy in the middle of the barren desert and he was barely even back online, KITT wasn't afraid. KARR was bigger, faster, stronger, more advanced, and more viciously determined. But KITT possessed the one thing that KARR couldn't have, _wouldn't have_ as long as KITT was alive and able to fight, KITT had Michael.

However, today, KITT was beginning to feel a new emotion clench the inside of his CPU with Incredible Hulk-like strength. It started off pretty easily ignorable but soon it spread out to overcome more of his CPU and auxiliary systems as he realized just how trapped and unrescueable he really was.

Michael didn't recognize him, there was no immediate way to contact him, and now KITT fearfully watched him join Theresa and her fighting force. From KITT's angled view that he gained from the Fremont St. security cameras, Michael and LT. Cast were devising a quick and efficient plan of attack. KITT could almost feel a cold shiver reverberate uncontrollably through his strong frame.

"What in the H*** is going on, Theresa?" Mike practically yelled as he faced off with the 5'11" tall brunette.

Theresa didn't take her determined brown eyes off of her silent red target as she whispered through her gritted teeth, "Doing my damn best to keep you safe."

"By scaring the life out of everyone here? Couldn't you be at least a _little_ more subtle?" He groaned as he turned toward the older red Mustang. Did it just shiver?

Meanwhile, the relative quiet of the SSC was suddenly shattered by a blaring warning alarm. It was so loud and impatient, it denied the very idea of being ignored and insisted upon immediate action.

Billy had been lazily relaxing in the huge soft leather couch. He was still pretty upset about not getting to go to Las Vegas. When he had seen all the KITT look-alikes, he became even more upset. So, he just moped around the quiet SSC and whined about it to Zoë and Sarah any chance he got.

He yawned wide as he dropped his Asminov paperback onto the cold metal floor. He then stretched and wished again that he could have gone.

The screaming alarm was so sudden and so loud that it startled Billy right out of his huge yawn. And that had caused him to fall off of the soft brown leather couch and start coughing with convulsions.

Sarah came sprinting down the silver metal staircase and glared at Billy who was half on and half off the couch. She could see his legs were sprawled out on the fluffy cushions and his top half was awkwardly laying on his side as he was coughing. "Billy, what are you doing? Take your station!" She yelled as she quickly accessed the terminal Zoë usually used.

While still coughing uncontrollably, Billy finally struggled onto his feet but not before he totally fell off the couch with a soft thud. "Can't you see, I'm choking to death here?" He rasped as he tried to clear his throat in between coughs.

"You can talk, you are alive. So, you can work." Sarah gruffly surmised as she quickly typed in her access code.

Billy tried to laugh as he flopped down in his ergonomic office chair but it only sounded like a choked rasp. And to further add to his discomfort, all that choking had caused his eyes to water. So, for a few quiet seconds, he desperately tried to wipe his eyes dry as he powered up his high-tech workstation.

Sarah quickly skimmed over the cause for the general alarm. Apparently, KITT was under extreme stress and it was threatening to overload his CPU. Why was KITT feeling so stressed out? He was supposed to be on a relaxing couple of days off in Las Vegas.

"Billy, stop being weird for a second and focus. I need you to access all of KITT's activity logs and files. I'm gonna try to contact him to find out what's up." Sarah ordered curtly as her long fingers flew over her touch screen panel at light speed.

Billy gave Sarah his sweet beat-up puppy dog look and then whined, "I was dying and all you can say is 'Get Back To Work!'?"

Sarah was just about ready to open her secure chat window with KITT. She didn't have time to hold Billy's hand and solve his problems at the same time. So Sarah quickly but sincerely turned to face Billy full on. She gently put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "Billy, KITT is in trouble and may need our help. You are breathing and you look fine to me. So, let's work on helping KITT, okay?"

The impromptu pep-talk worked just perfectly. Billy immediately focused on downloading all of KITT's System Event Logs as well as his daily activity logs for the passed 48 hours.

KITT's daily activity logs were like a journal of everything KITT had done or experienced. These logs were going to be the most helpful in determining what happened. However, they were also KITT's most personal files. They were his version of a personal diary. The only difference was that this was a logging of the facts without the mention of his personal views or opinions.

KITT felt the 3 different Queries sent to him simultaneously and groaned. The very last thing he needed right now was to have a nice conversation with the SSC. KITT definitely didn't want to explain his current predicament right now.

KITT was already feeling a bit overtaxed. He was currently patched into over 15 different Fremont St surveillance cameras. He was also carefully monitoring Lieutenant Cast's Walkie-Talkie like radios. Plus, he was keeping a diligent watch on the progress of her forcefully deployed troops. Just because the radio traffic was silent, didn't mean that the situation was going to stay silent. KITT was also still trying to calculate an escape plan. He didn't have enough resources to deal with the SSC right now. So, he did something he hadn't done in a while. He denied the SSC all levels of communication.

ACCESS DENIED

Sarah was livid to say the least. What was happening that was causing KITT to feel stressed out and why was he shutting out her help?

"Billy, hold on with the information download. Get ready to do it but don't actually perform it until I give you the signal. I'm gonna try to talk to him first. Then, we will do that." Sarah quickly commanded as she prepared to try again. Yeah, KITT had denied her _friendly_ inquiry but that didn't mean that she couldn't bypass it and try again. Her long fingers worked even faster as she blew through KITT's security system like the tornado in The Wizard of OZ.

Mike wearily watched the security detail Theresa had deployed. The whole situation had turned into a standoff and it didn't show any signs of concluding any time soon. So he came up with a different plan. A less evasive plan and he hoped that it would work. "Call them off." He ordered Theresa with his firmest voice.

"What in the…" Theresa practically yelled as she was caught off guard by his commanding statement. "Who in the world do you think you are? This is _my_ situation and _my_ problem to deal with! So, with all due respect, keep your nosey actor butt out of it or I _will_ have you removed!"

Mike didn't back off for even a second. Actually, he took that as a challenge and faced it as such, "Right now, you have a standoff in a very public place at a very bad time. The last thing you want right now is to have this last longer or have it eventually turn violent. The best option for you right now is to send in a negotiator and that would be me."

"NEVER!" She screamed as she turned to face him down. She wasn't going to be sending the one person she is supposed to be protecting into a hostile situation like this. No Freaking Way!

"You have no choice." He pointed out smoothly as he kept his voice soft but firm. "Everyone at this event is counting on this being a stunt or a public display for their entertainment. You have no other choice. Call them off and send me in."

Theresa stood silent as she considered his insane idea. She couldn't believe that what he had just said not only made sense but that it looked like the only real way out of this odd predicament. She hated everything about this but as she surveyed her current options, she knew that he was right. Darn!

"Fall Back! Everyone fallback and regroup at the Corsica Casino." She ordered into her black radio.

Every single member of her elite specialized team gave her an odd look. They had never known their fearless leader to give up. Never. She always got her man. This was extremely out of the ordinary. So, they held their positions for a little longer, just in case.

"Didn't you hear me? I said, 'FALL BACK!' Now, follow my direction!" She yelled forcefully into her Walkie-Talkie like radio.

Mike just stood there in silence. He knew at that point that she had agreed with his plan but that it was a tentative agreement at best. Lt. Cast looked barely controlled and by that dominant tone in her voice, he could tell that she was ready to teach someone a few manners with her ample fists.

He smiled slightly as he looked on wearily at the defensive retreat of the highly -trained security detail. He knew that he was next and so he had to figure out just what he was going to do.

KITT couldn't understand it. Suddenly and without any warning, Lt. Cast called off her troops. Why? What did she have planned for him now? That didn't bode well for his safety at all and he trembled just that little bit more.

Sarah then quickly nodded at Billy as she hit the OPEN button.

KITT had no time to react. No time to set up a secure barrier against her. No time to form a counter-attack plan.

"KITT, what is going on?" A very familiar voice rang worriedly throughout his empty cabin.

KITT was still trying to read the meaning behind Lieutenant Theresa Cast's sudden actions. Also, he was trying to figure out if Michael was going to be a part of whatever was decided. Now, he had to try to deal with this the best way he could. "Sarah, I have no time to communicate with you at this moment." KITT did his best to dissuade her from continuing.

"KITT, you need to tell me what's going on. Your stressed out system has sent out an alarm. I am here to help." She offered as sweetly as she could manage.

At that same moment, Mike took in a deep stabilizing breath and then headed straight for the red Mustang everyone was calling Domino. It was now or never. Something had to be done and it had to be done now.

KITT immediately saw Michael lock his vision on him. He nearly leaped with joy because he knew that determined look anywhere. As if on cue, Michael started carefully stalking over to him. KITT wanted so bad to scream out at him in happiness. Yes! His rescuer was on the way!

"KITT, do not ignore me! What is going on?!" Sarah practically yelled in frustration.

KITT didn't want to reveal to Sarah what was going on and he didn't want to lie to her. So, he continued to stay silent as he watched Michael slowly, cautiously stalk straight over to him.

"It looks like help is on the way, folks!" The dark haired promoter happily yelled. "Michael Knight is here to save the day!"

Mike groaned at the corny lines coming from the podium onstage. However, he didn't have time to rebut with his own corny lines. He had a standoff to avert.

Sarah was really getting worried now. KITT hadn't spoken a single word to her in a long while and he was still showing signs of stress. However, the level of his stress had diminished greatly. She could see that whatever was happening was nearly over. Now, if she could only get him to talk.

Mike stopped at about 20 feet away from the older red Mustang. He had no intention of getting too close. Whoever was inside might have a weapon or try something he couldn't dodge. So, this was close enough…And where _is_ KITT?

'NO!' KITT yelled in his CPU. He needed to communicate to Michael and this huge distance was just too much for him to be able to have a private conversation with him. Oh, how he missed that earwig! Now, what was he going to do?

"KITT, if you don't start talking to me, I'm gonna have to shut you down. I cannot allow whoever or whatever has got you to be able to get inside and compromise everything." Sarah gave her ultimatum in her most stern voice possible. Hopefully, that would work.

It did.

"Sarah, please standby." Is all KITT was willing to say at that time.

"KITT, come on!" She yelled as she slammed her fists hard against the metal desk. It was so forceful; Billy jumped slightly and then scooted a couple more inches away from her.

Mike studied the Domino replica carefully. He took in the looks of convertible top, tinted windows, and all around hot sports car look of the 1997 Mustang GT. Most people would have thought that he was just appreciating a _fine automobile_. However, Mike was looking at it from the prospect of it being a threat. An unpredictable vicious force.

"Hello," Mike began as sweetly as he could muster. "I am Michael Knight."

Fremont St. suddenly became silent. The loud confusion of fleeing fans suddenly stopped as everyone became a bystander or an eyewitness. They all wanted to watch Michael Knight capture the bad guy and save the day. And since he was obviously out there confronting the rogue vehicle, this must be another stunt for their entertainment pleasure. Yeah, he was just hamming it up for them again, right?

"KITT, what's Mike doing? I just heard him introduce himself to you. What's going on?" Sarah asked as she listened even closer to KITT's background noise.

Darn it! This new body had the polyurethane convertible top. It was like wearing a piece of cheesecloth. There was no way to soundproof it. Now, it was going to be harder to keep Sarah in the dark. So, he gave up the fight.

DOWNLOADING

Billy's idle workstation was patiently waiting for him to activate the communication's link and download the log files. However, it never got the chance. KITT sent all his most recent activities to Billy's terminal at the SSC. Then, instead of the open secure chat window, he texted the SSC directly.

KITT: Hello Sarah

SARAH: KITT, what's going on?

KITT: Read the files.

SARAH: We are but can you tell us?

KITT: Read First!

SARAH: KITT just tell me!

KITT gave a defeated sigh in his CPU and then surmised bluntly.

KITT: #1: Michael forgot the earwig in the room.

#2: Michael was led away to the next event by Ms Jessica Lighthouse.

#3: I transformed into Domino from the Knight Industries TKR days.

#4: Michael didn't recognize me.

#5: While in my Domino disguise, I tried to get closer to Michael.

#6: I was deemed an unknown threat by Lieutenant Theresa Cast.

#7: Security personnel was dispatched to apprehend my driver, of which, I currently have none.

#8: Michael joined the effort to secure my driver.

#9: They have called off the security detail and sent in Michael to negotiate.

"Wow KITT that is a mouthful." Billy commented quickly as he saved the newly transmitted logs for later review.

Sarah shot Billy a warning glance and then texted quickly.

SARAH: Have you called his cell?

KITT: Michael Knight's cellular telephone was destroyed on our last assignment in Cleveland, Ohio.

SARAH: Oh yeah, I forgot.

Mike gave the older red Mustang an appraising look and then he held out his hands in front of him with the palms up. "Look, I have no weapons. Just come out and let's talk man-to-man."

KITT had left the chat window open and Sarah could hear every word Mike had said but she knew not to comment out loud.

SARAH: Is that Mike?

KITT: Yes

SARAH: Can you give me a visual?

KITT: No, not without revealing myself.

"OH MY GOSH!" Billy exclaimed suddenly. "THAT'S IT!"

The very millisecond KITT detected Billy's accentuated tone, KITT muted the chat window. He still couldn't close it but that didn't mean he couldn't make it as silent as possible.

"Hellllooo?" Mike called out toward the Mustang Convertible. "Did you say something? I hope so because we need to talk."

Sarah swatted Billy on the shoulder and glared at him for a second before she turned back toward the text messages and the chat window.

Billy gave Sarah his boyish bewildered smile and then immediately typed into the text messages.

BILLY: KITT reveal yourself.

KITT: Billy, would you care to inform me on your reasoning behind this?

"BILLY, are you insane?" Sarah snapped as she turned a bit venomous.

"Maybe I am." Billy excitedly said. "Mike doesn't know that that's KITT. One swoosh of KITT's scanner and Mike is bound to see and understand that that is KITT."

KITT had been lip-reading and understood every syllable Billy said. So, he texted Sarah.

KITT: Sarah, Billy may have a valid point. If Michael were to realize that I am me, than he may be able to devise an inventive plan.

SARAH: KITT, what if you are wrong and that large crowd out there sees your scanner?

KITT: Most likely, they will believe that it was part of the replica and think nothing of it.

SARAH: What if Mike's reaction is the same way?

BILLY: Is there any secret code or something only you and Mike might know that would immediately click in his mind if he saw it?

KITT: Not to my knowledge. However, showing him my unique scanner should do the trick. May I?

SARAH: Be Careful.

BILLY: Good Luck.

There Mike stood in front of the curiously gathered and yet totally silent crowd trying to anticipate his opponent's next move. He was under the distinct impression that once again Lt. Cast was seriously overreacting. Because of her drastic actions, she had caused a peaceful and entertaining event to become a disorganized stampede of mayhem. He knew that he was the only one to bring back any resemblance of the peace they once had. He just had to make them once again believe that this was another entertaining and impromptu stunt show purely focused on making the Knight Rider fans happy. How hard could that be?

Now, he stood wearily in the middle of the deathly silent audience with his hands in the air like an idiot. A brave idiot but an idiot none the less. However, he was pretty sure that he was safe. No one would be fool enough to start something with so many eyewitnesses and video cameras trained on them, would they?

Mike took two silent and cautious footfalls forward. He didn't want to look or be threatening but he did want to get a bit closer to get a good look at his silent opponent.

It didn't look so threatening. It just looked like an older model HOT car that still hadn't seen a hard day in all its life. Maybe, the owner was just shy or scared.

"Please talk to me." Mike pleaded softly. "We can resolve this best if you let me help you."

The very second that Mike focused once again on him, KITT activated his always-prepared nanobots and commanded them to quickly absorb the mesh shroud over his scanner. This decisive action would only occur for a few seconds though.

Ready….Ready…NOW!

Mike had just decided to chance another few paces toward the bright red convertible, when suddenly…


	20. Open Sesame

A/N: I am soo sorry sorry sorry sorry everyone…I had posted this chapter without looking and on like 4 hours of rest...I was missing the vital scene for its namesake. So, here is the _**ACTUAL**_ full chapter with the correct scene…so as you don't have to re-read the whole thing if you don't want to…look for the Google Eyed Monster( &_ & ) He will begin the added scene…Once again, I truly apologize!

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**Open Sesame**

Without considering the drastic consequences of his gut reaction, Mike exclaimed for all to hear, "KITT!?"

KITT nearly jumped out of his CPU in joy. Yes! Michael had recognized him! Now, they were a team again. Then KITT quickly re-formed the disguising mesh over his scanner.

Mike stood there in awe for a few seconds. When had KITT decided to transform? Why in this body? Then it hit him even harder...How was he going to get them out of this mess?

Even though KITT had muted his end of the secure chat window Sarah had established, that didn't silence Sarah's end. She could hear everything that was done on KITT's side.

SARAH: It sounds like Mike recognized you.

KITT: He has.

"Folks, it looks like Michael Knight is calling for back-up." The dark haired promoter exclaimed like he was an announcer in a NASCAR circuit. "I wonder if KITT will show?"

'I'm already here.' KITT thought idly. Now, he just needed some signs from Michael to interpret and use to both their advantage.

Mike quickly realized his mistake when the exuberant dark haired promoter pointed it out for all to hear. Now, he winced as he quickly fumbled over a good recovery. While still holding up his hands in a placating fashion and winking at KITT, he yelled, " KITT, where are you?"

KITT stayed silent on the outside but he wasn't one to stay silent for long.

KITT: Sarah, I am going to assist Michael.

SARAH: How?

KITT: I am going to patch into the highly advanced sound system of the Fremont St Experience and transmit an auditory message.

Sarah and Billy both exchanged a questioning glance before Sarah texted.

SARAH: You want to run it by me?

KITT: Not particularly.

SARAH: It was your unchecked individualism that got you into this mess in the first place.

Ouch, that hurt! KITT grimaced inside his CPU. Her father, no _their_ father, Dr. Graiman would never have uttered such de-evolved and hurtful words. He had always championed KITT's right for independence. And to think, those vicious words had just been typed by none other than Dr. Graiman's own flesh and blood. A person KITT considered a sister. That's why those innocently typed words hurt that much more. KITT quickly absorbed a harsh and defensive comeback and opted instead to clarify.

KITT: I am Michael's partner and backup. He trusts me...Why don't you?

Maybe he did have a comeback after all.

"I think you upset him." Billy noted worriedly as he roughly elbowed Sarah in the arm.

Sarah gave Billy a defensive apologetic look as she whispered, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that today probably wasn't a good day for unilateral decisions, that's all."

"Don't tell that to me. You have to tell him." Billy refocused her toward the Big Board with the open text and chat windows.

Sarah kind of looked at the tan upholstery in defeat. Her intentions were only to be a helpful double checker. Not to offend one of her best friends. But this was no time to be backpedaling or second thinking her words.

SARAH: KITT I'm sorry. What I meant was...How about you use your friends to help you out. Tell us what you plan to do. Then we can help make it even better.

KITT considered Sarah's offer deeply. He had gotten himself into this mess and it would be wise for him to double check his next few decisions with Sarah and Billy. Mike still stood only 20 feet away and looking at him in realization and awe.

KITT: I plan on announcing my impending arrival.

SARAH: KITT? I don't get it.

KITT: The announcer has called for my assistance. He cannot know that I am here. I must represent myself to be elsewhere.

BILLY: Not a good idea KITT. No one was expecting you to really give an answer.

SARAH: I agree. What's Mike doing?

KITT scanned his surroundings carefully. He could still see the silent audience watching intently. He could still see Lt. Cast's nervously gathered team watching the events unfold. And, he could see Mike suddenly smile slightly at him. Uh Ohh, Mike had just come up with an idea. KITT knew that knowing smile well and it usually led to some very very interesting events to log.

KITT: He is smiling.

SARAH: That's my Mike.

Mike suddenly had a brief moment of mental clarity. It struck him like a bolt of white lightening. He quickly searched the large crowd for a familiar face a face he knew so well he dreamed of her when he was away. He knew that she wouldn't be far.

As if she knew exactly what Justin was looking for, Deanna smiled from her crowded spot in the silent audience and stepped forward to the bright yellow barriers. She knew that he was looking for her. Maybe she could help.

"You stay right there and don't say a thing." Mike yelled at the red Mustang jokingly as he shuffled over to the Sarah clone.

Everyone busted up laughing. The supped up Mustang hadn't moved or said a word since the security team went wild. Not even Michael Knight himself could get the driver to talk…and that's why it was so funny.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Deanna asked sincerely and softly as Justin approached.

He gave her an odd questioning look. "Tell you what?"

"That you are Michael Knight." She whispered softly into his ear.

"Of Course, I am Michael Knight." He confidently played it up for all to hear.

With a strong look of consternation spread all over her very tightly controlled face, she grabbed his lapel and forcefully yanked him down face-to-face with her determined rage. "No, you do not understand." She said very slowly and clearly but as soft as a kitten's purr. "I know. You…Are…Michael…Knight."

Mike's blood froze in place. His face became pale. His limbs suddenly became numb. And, he was suddenly having a very hard time breathing. How did she know? When did she find out? Who else knew?

KITT saw Mike suddenly become weak in the Sarah clone's grasp. He knew that something BIG had just happened. So he quickly rewound and reviewed the security footage for the very spot they occupied. And what he saw made his CPU stop cold for a second…SHE KNEW!

The audience was loving the whole Sarah Graiman angle. Usually Mike's antics involved only KITT. This was great. Their excitement just bumped up that much more and it was also helped out by one very happy announcer.

"There she is! Sarah, can you help Mike until KITT arrives?" The promoter announced more than asked.

Mike had to refocus. Not only did this _clone_ know his secret, but she was also only a couple centimeters from his lips and she smelled soo good. NO! No Kissing…Not Now!

As if she could read his thoughts, Deanna push/tossed him away from her and then spoke softly, "How can I help?"

Mike turned back toward KITT. The red Mustang looked perfectly content just sitting there waiting for him to make a decision. But, what to do…what to do???

Chancing another close encounter of the emotional kind, Deanna leaned in dangerously close and whispered into his ear. "I have an idea. Can you stall them for a while?"

Mike dared not turn to face her. He knew that he had to be blushing from ear to ear and she was soo delicately DIVINE. With a horse whisper, he nodded and said, "Oh Yeah…I am very good at distractions."

SARAH: KITT, what's going on?

KITT knew not to blurt or reveal what he and the audience were seeing…Oh Yeah, that would blow Sarah's gasket. So being the ever careful intermediary, KITT calmly texted.

KITT: He is devising a plan with some help from a friend.

SARAH: What friend? Can we help too?

KITT avoided the first question with ease and just typed.

KITT: No…not at this time. Please Standby.

Sarah and Billy once again traded questioning glances as they tried to figure out what was really going on. Why was KITT being so tight-lipped or should they say VOX silent? Well, I guess time would be the only thing on their side. They could hear everything around KITT clearly. So, when KITT needed them, they would be there and ready.

Deanna dashed back inside the Corsica Casino and weaved her way passed all the brightly colored and inviting slot machines. It seemed like she had to run 5 miles to get to the Registration Desk but finally she made it and totally out of breath. While huffing and puffing for air, she slouched on the cool marble countertop and softly patted her chest.

The two twenty-something guys running the counter that afternoon looked shocked. They usually didn't have beautiful women running up to their counter at full speed. And even though she had just sprinted her way over to them, She Looked Hot in her dark blue summer dress with matching pumps. Both of them clamored to help her and even elbowed each other as they tried to be the one to help her out.

After a few seconds, Deanna caught enough of her rapid breath to ask, "I need a TV remote. Give me a remote, now!"

They both looked at each other dumbfounded for a second and then burst out laughing. "You want a what? This isn't the Giftshop."

Deanna glared viciously at the one that had just mocked her and smiled inwardly as he took a cautious step back away from her. "I…Need…A…Remote…Control! Do I make myself clear or do you need me to come back there and draw one on your forehead so you can get a better view of it in the mirror?"

Now, the second man backed off a bit too. Deanna liked that feeling of power and played off of it. "Well? Your decision boys."

Finally, the first one got the bravery to speak again and shakily said, "We do not carry the supplies for the rooms, Ma'am. Housekeeping has most of the extras. Try there."

Ma'am…What in all of God's creation had caused the boy her age to call her Ma'am? Then she saw her position against the marble counter and her defiant scowl. Great! She looked like her MOTHER! She harrumphed loudly and gave the shaking clerks one last parting glare before she headed out for the Housekeeping Office.

About 10 paces away, Deanna realized, she had no idea where that was…Great! Just Great!

Mike only took a second to ponder his next moves. He was good at distractions but what would he do now? It had to be something easily done but also easily gotten out of…Hmmmm

"Okay! You Win!" He called out in false defeat. "Whatever you plan on doing, figure it out _whenever_! Until then, I will be waiting up there. Just sit there and shut up for all I care!" And then, he overacted a stormy tirade as he walked over to the stage and ascended the black metal staircase.

As Mike took his predetermined position in between Dr. Graiman and Zoë, he formed his best glare at KITT and yelled, "You are completely surrounded you idiot! So, just sit there! Whatever!"

If KITT didn't know that Michael was acting mad, he would have sworn that Michael was truly upset at him. Michael was definitely good, very good.

SARAH: What is Mike doing?

KITT: He has taken a seat onstage.

SARAH: Why?

KITT: I guess that it is part of his ultimate plan. He has made it perfectly clear that I am to stay put and stay silent. So, I shall.

BILLY: So, you are just going to sit there?

KITT: Yes Billy, that is correct. I am going to just 'sit here'.

BILLY: Well, tell us how that goes. :)

Sarah finally flagged down a roving security guard who gave her directions and pointed her toward the Housekeeping Office. He didn't recognize her or try to swoon over her. He was just polite and helpful. At this time, he made her day as she double her fast pace.

The puzzled dark-haired promoter looked worriedly at Justin. Why wasn't he apprehending the suspect? Why was he just sitting there patiently? What should he do? Finally, he decided to follow the handsome actor's lead and continue with the event.

"Okay, since I have Justin onstage, _FINALLY_, let's take advantage of it. Justin would you like to give a brief greeting?" The dark-haired promoter asked cautiously.

Mike grinned widely as he stood up again. It was time to ham it up again and he loved it!

Deanna finally made it to the basement office of the Housekeeping crew. She had to make her way through a maze of off-white hallways to get there and she wasn't entirely sure where here was as she knocked on the metal door before opening it. "Hello?!"

A raven haired woman in her mid 40's quickly rose from behind a paper-covered desk and rushed to meet Deanna at the doorway. "Hola?!"

Deanna smiled as sweetly as she could muster and asked quickly, "May I have a television remote control?"

The moderately dressed housekeeper tilted her head questioningly and then shrugged her shoulders as she admitted, "No Habla Ingles."

Deanna grunted audibly...No What?! Suddenly, her Apple Iphone rang impatiently. With no other options at this time, she answered it.

"Hello Deanna, I speak Spanish. Pass the phone to the woman in question." KITT stated smoothly. He had been watching her progress since Michael and she had separated. He knew that she was working on a crucial piece of their plan. After reading her lips during the Registration Desk incident, he knew that she was after a TV Remote Control. He didn't know why but he at least could help her procure it.

"Kilmer?" Sarah asked stunned. "How did you get my number?"

"I am not Kilmer." KITT stated clearly but didn't go further into his identification. "I can help. Please pass this communication's device over to the Housekeeping woman."

Clarity suddenly dawned on Deanna. Oh My God! She was talking to KITT! THE KITT! No Way! Oh My God! No Way! Her head began to swirl as she tried to get a grasp of her current situation. However, she was smiling like a schoolgirl who was talking on the phone with her boyfriend.

KITT could see Deanna's mood suddenly change. He could see her face go pale before her eyes glazed over. He nearly laughed out loud at her reactions. She looked absolutely gone. The world around her no longer existed. He smiled inwardly and then spoke evenly, "Hello? Are you still there?"

"Y…Yes. I am." She stuttered.

"Please pass the phone over to the woman in front of you." He asked smoothly.

The Hispanic woman was watching the beautiful young brunette woman on the expensive cellular telephone. She had no idea why the beautiful woman showed up in her office and if a translator didn't show up soon, she would never know. What really made her think that the woman might need help was the way she suddenly seemed to go limp right in front of her. One second, the woman seemed strong and determined. The next second, she seemed lost in another galaxy…ODD!

Finally, Sarah collected up her faculties and extended the phone toward the Hispanic woman.

The Housekeeping Supervisor looked at the expensive cellular telephone with a bit of fear. Why would the woman want her to talk on the phone? Why? Well, whatever it was, a phone call couldn't hurt her. So she cautiously accepted the quickly presented expensive phone and muttered a soft, "Hola?"

In perfectly accented Spanish, KITT introduced himself to the housekeeper woman as a close friend to Deanna, the younger woman standing in front of her. He kept his voice smooth and cool. Also, he added as many sweet pleasantries as he could. He needed to curry favor from this woman as best as possible.

"Hello, my name is KITT and first of all I wish thank you and your hardworking staff for your strong dedication to that hard work. You are all a credit to your department." KITT proclaimed easily and was delighted to see her smile wide. "What is your name so I may thank you personally?"

The middle aged Hispanic woman grinned wide as she enjoyed the compliment and the rich tones of the handsome voice. "I am Estrella Manuela Gonzalez and I wish to thank you for your beautiful and kind words. Thank You." He was definitely a charmer but she could play that game too.

"Nice to meet you Estrella. It is a genuine pleasure to meet you." KITT continued without missing a beat. "Now may I ask you for a personal favor?"

'Well there it was. The reason behind all the sappy sweet words. He wanted something. They always wanted _something_.' Estrella thought with a sly smile.

"Ms Gonzalez, is there any possible way for you to give my friend here a tv remote control? We are willing to pay for it if necessary." KITT asked is his deepest most friendly tone.

"Estrella grinned knowingly and then passed the black iPhone back to Deanna as she quickly turned on her heels and then weaved through a maze of vast and cluttered shelves in the warehouse-like office. Within seconds, she was gone, lost amongst the blue-colored shelving.

"KITT?" Deanna finally managed to ask shakily.

Kitt pondered against not responding to his very own name. The Sarah clone had somehow connected the clues together and discovered Michael's true identity. Now, the only question that stood was should he reply...or should he not? He decided to reply.

"Yes, Deanna? Do you need something?" KITT used the same smooth deep voice he had used with Estrella.

"Yeah, are you for real?" She finally mumbled barely audible.

"I could ask you the same question Ms. Russo." KITT quickly joked.

"Touché KITT." Deanna smiled a little more relaxed. KITT was just as nice in person...well, on the phone...as he portrayed on the tv show.

"May I ask a favor of you?" KITT asked nicely and sincerely.

10,000 ideas ran through her mind at the same time. What could he possibly want from her? With cautious tension in the air around her, she asked, "What do you want from me, KITT?"

KITT could sense the fear and tension in the young woman's quivering voice. "You have nothing to fear from me Deanna. My question is simple."

KITT paused for a second to re-check the video surveillance camera. Yep, it was still there. "I need you to inspect that small cylindrical device on the desk approximately 5' in front of you. Do you recognize it?"

Deanna leaned hard against the old wooden countertop and squinted hard to see what he had seen. The desk in question looked old if not ancient by modern standards. It looked like it was built in the 1950's and had never been taken care of. Plus, it was literally covered in useless junk. She could see some areas were dedicated solely to certain items. Like one corner was stacked a good 2 feet tall with nothing other than cell phone chargers. Another corner was stacked high with odd computer equipment: laptops, mice, flash drives, and etc. Deanna just stared at it all in awe.

Finally, she just shrugged her petite shoulders in loss and defeat. Whatever it was that KITT had found of great importance, she just wasn't seeing it. "Sorry KITT," she spoke in a soft whisper. "I just don't see what you are talking about, sorry."

KITT had hoped for the Sarah clone's confirmation that what he had seen in the security surveillance footage was not some odd wish come true through the visual effect of a mirage.

Well, since that backfired big time, there was only one other option available to him. He would have to ask Estrella himself. But first, he had to let the Sarah clone know that she was off the hook. No harm done. "Do not worry, Deanna. I will inquire about it when Estrella returns.

While Deanna was discovering the niceties of the real live KITT while waiting patiently in the bowels of a fully operational 4-Star Casino and Hotel, Mike was onstage giving a happy monologue about himself for all to hear. The dark-haired promoter still stared worriedly at KITT but Mike figured that he had the situation well under control for now. So focusing on the event at hand was the best policy for now.

Mike silently stood up from behind the onstage conference table and then he blindly laid a reassuring hand on Dr. Graiman's shoulder before he calmly addressed the attentive crowd.

"Once again, I wish to thank you all for coming out here." Mike stated in his most sincere tone. "However, and this may sound unbelievable, KITT and I had no idea that you would be out here right now. Just like we had no idea that we were just character's being played by actors on a tv show. Right KITT?"

KITT wisely stayed silent.

Mike stealthily winked at KITT before he continued in a very serious tone, "To me, every one of these people you see before you as a panel member on this stage is real…" and as Mike continued in a somber and sentimental tone, he softly squeezed Dr. Graiman's shoulder as he added, "or was real."

Mike took a second's worth of time to pause and let his serious words sink in little bit. As he did a quick survey of the silent audience, he could see some of them considering his words deeply. At the very same time, the more critical and skeptical people were staring at him intently. 'Like…if you look long enough a sign will appear on my forehead saying that I'm a liar.' Mike joking thought as he smiled slyly.

"Well, it's true." Mike continued. "And if you don't believe me, ask her!" He yelled as he pointed off into the thickly gathered crowd.

Deanna stepped carefully out of the shocked audience with a knowing look on her face. She smiled wide and then nodded slightly toward Mike.

& _ &

'Now, it is time for Phase 2 of our diabolical plan.' Mike considered in his mind as he parted company with _his friends_ and descended the grey metal stairs. 'Hope this works.' He softly prayed to himself as he slowly walked straight over to KITT with his hands still up in the air showing surrender.

In a tone loud enough to be considered an announcement, Mike called, "Driver of the red Mustang, please step out!"

Obviously KITT had no driver within him, so he sat quietly and waited for more. But what if Michael gave him an order, should he obey? He texted Sarah.

KITT: Sarah, do I observe Michael's orders?

SARAH: Is he incapacitated?

KITT: NO

SARAH: Then most likely he knows what he is doing?

KITT: YES

SARAH: Then do as he says but no more. No extras…and try not to speak.

KITT: Understood

Mike kept walking cautiously toward the red Mustang he now knew was KITT. He kept his empty hands up in the air as he continued to stare straight at where he had once seen KITT's dual scanner flash at him. Finally, when he was within reaching distance of the supped-up red hood, he whispered, "KITT follow my lead."

KITT quickly flashed a view of his reddish scanner at Michael as his way of confirming that he had understood.

Mike couldn't help but smile companionably when he saw KITT's dual scanner. But then he quickly cut it out to get back into his character for the watching crowd.

Mike took 2 huge steps backward and then sternly put his hands on his hips. It made him look a little like Peter Pan. With a HUGE grin plastered all over his face, he sternly chided, "KITT! I am ashamed of you. Why do you want to scare all these lovely folks, huh?"

Sarah and Billy both broke out into ruckus laughter. Mike was _crazy_!

KITT wisely stayed silent.

"Not going to say anything in your defense, huh? What? I can't hear you. And when did you become the quiet one?" He joked while keeping up his disappointed-mother look.

The whole audience busted up laughing and even the cautiously watching Lieutenant Cast was smiling slightly.

"KITT! Come over here when I'm speaking to you!" Mike scolded with a tinge of laughter in his voice.

KITT took that as his moment to follow directions. In order to look sad, he raised his new hydraulics on his back wheels so that it looked like he was bowing and then he slowly crawled up to Michael's legs. Once KITT's red bumper was firmly pressed against Michael's stonewashed jeans, he stopped cold and waited for his next move.

Some of the gathered crowd gasped in awe. However, most had equated it to the work of the unknown driver concealed within.

Mike solidly laid his palm on KITT's hood. With a certain amount of sincere friendship, he ran his fingers down the length of the hood as he walked slowly to the driver's side door. This was his way of non-verbally telling KITT that everything was okay.

KITT didn't fight Michael's peculiar actions. Actually, he liked the opportunity to check out Michael's all over health and mental condition. He was glad to see that Michael's pulse and other vital signs showed him to be better than calm. Michael was happy.

Mike then whispered, "Stay with me KITT. It's about to get interesting." Then he suddenly jumped in front of the driver's door with both feet, took in a deep breath and then flung it wide open as he wildly leaped to the side like he was avoiding rapid gunfire. He also yelped at the top of his lungs as he face planted himself to the warm concrete.

The closer audience members that were intently watching Justin and the red Mustang from their front row spots on the Driver's side of the red sports car gasped and then screamed at the top of their lungs as they too dodged the imaginary bullets Justin was trying to avoid. From a spectator's point of view, the fumbling hysteria looked hilarious and many of the crowd on the opposite side of the car couldn't contain their laughter.

A couple of seconds later, he leaped up to his feet and brushed himself off with a huge grin. He jokingly pointed to the perplexed but calming audience and said with a slight giggle, "Nice reflexes."

Most of the stunned people at that moment just smiled. Justin Bruening, the _Justin Bruening_, had just spoken to them and they were totally okay with that.

While back in character, Mike turned again to face KITT. He hunched his back and then took high-kneed steps on his tip toes as he covered his pursed lips with his long index finger. Anyone listening close enough could hear the faint "Shh" sound he was making.

SARAH: What is Mike doing?

KITT: I believe he is trying to sneak around me. At least, that is what my Body Language program has translated him to be performing.

SARAH: I don't understand, KITT. Why do you need to consult your Body Language Interpretation program?

KITT: Michael's movements are extremely irregular or exaggerated, I needed to initiate said program for confirmation of my beliefs.

SARAH: KITT show me.

KITT quickly fed one of his pilfered Fremont St. security cameras to the SSC. It showed a perfect view of his passenger's side. Now, Sarah and Billy could watch Michael's antics as clearly as he could. KITT's reward would have been the sudden intensity of the open laughter both of them shared. Too bad KITT had muted his chat window.

Once he was perfectly in place, Mike straightened up to his full height and then grinned wickedly at the rapt audience silently watching from all sides. At this moment, he was facing them, so he playfully shushed them even though they had all gone silent again. He then gave them his best shifty-eyed nervous look before he quickly swiveled around and flung the red convertible door wide open.

This time, the curious audience tried hard for a better view of the luxurious tan interior. They were roughly elbowing and shoving each other as they tried desperately to take good pictures and/or videos.

With both heavy doors of the red Mustang sports car hanging wide open for all of Fremont St to see, Mike nonchalantly turned around and walked away from KITT but toward the Event stage.

Billy turned toward Sarah and whispered, "What do you think he's up to?"

While not taking her teddy bear brown eyes off of the security camera view of Fremont St, she then whispered barely even audible, "Whatever it is, it's gonna be very interesting."

Once Mike was only a foot away from touching the crowded stage, he was now ready to perform his best rendition of David Copperfield, the magician not the storybook character. Mike threw his arms up high in the air dramatically and then commanded at the top of his lungs as he swung around to face KITT, "Open Sesame!"

KITT immediately knew what his next course of action was supposed to be but he wasn't quite sure how Michael wished him to do it. So KITT quickly texted Sarah.

KITT: How do I proceed: dissolve or retract?

Sarah and Billy both looked at each other questioningly and shrugged their shoulders. But then it dawned on both of them at the same time and they both actually said "Ah!" in unison.

Billy was the first to type out the decision.

BILLY: KITT, I don't think Mike had a full-on nanotransform in mind. Just go with the retract.

SARAH: I agree.

Mike stood there with his arms up in the air for a full five seconds while waiting for KITT to comply. KITT understood, didn't he? KITT had to know what he meant. He had to.

Within another 3 seconds, the totally silent and awestruck audience erupted into a loud almost teasing laughter. There Michael Knight stood, front and center, with his arms high up in the air and his hands spread out wide. And to top it all off, he was staring expectantly at the fiery red Mustang who was continuing to defy him by staying silent and unchanged.

When Justin's eyes changed from wide-eyed expectation to exasperated pleading, the already laughing audience somehow managed to laugh louder.

KITT just made him look like a fool but Mike still hoped that that was the gist of it. He and KITT had been working together for over a year and KITT had shown real improvement at anticipating what he wanted to do or what he wanted KITT to do. KITT should have known exactly what he expected. So that left the latter of the 2 choices, KITT was just playing a joke to add his own sense of humor to the mix.

Mike wouldn't let that faze him. Just to give KITT a dish of his own bit of fun, Mike crossed his arms sternly, tapped his foot impatiently, and sarcastically chided, "KITT, I am standing in front of a crowd of hundreds here and I am depending solely on you…NO NAPS!"

Everyone in the gathered crowd laughed softly at _Crazy Justin_. Was he really expecting that car to respond?

Mike wagged his index finger at KITT as he smiled huge but continued in his falsely angered tone, "Now you listen to me closely, _Mister_. Okay?"

Most of the softly laughing audience became still with those words. They were concentrating as hard as they could on Justin in anticipation of his next wacky move. They didn't want to miss a single word or movement he was about to do.

Mike slowly breathed in a massive gulp of warm March air and held it in as the rest of the restless crowd turned silent. With his eyes closed and his face deeply set in concentration, like a prayer, he slowly let it out with an audible whish sound as he dramatically and very slowly raised his arms up in the air. It looked like an imitation of Moses parting the Red Sea.

Once his arms had reached their full height and his tense drama had reached it's zenith, Mike opened his brown eyes wide and commanded in his deepest most commanding voice, "Open Sesame!"

KITT let a couple of seconds pass before he did as he was told. With all the drama that Michael had built up to this moment, KITT felt he had to add his share of the suspense also. So, very very slowly and with added sound effects fed through his high-end sound system, he growled and ground out some nasty machine noises as he detached the front of his convertible top. He kept up the loud machine noises as the trunk lid lifted up and KITT folded the tan polyurethane convertible top neatly into a space he had designed for just it. Little did the audience know that KITT was only going to absorb the nanobot built tan ceiling as soon as his trunk latched shut. KITT made a soft air hiss noise as he slid the trunk lid back into place and the transformation from closed to open was complete.

Mike smiled huge as the rapt audience stared in awe at KITT. It was like they had never seen a convertible top go down before. He almost laughed at the simplicity of it all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Sorry it took so long to do this but the chapter has gotten sooo big that I needed to break it down again, which means….

Another cliffhanger! *Evil Grin*

Expect the next Chapter within a couple of days!

Love you ALL!!!! Thank you sooo much for the positive reviews!

And next chapter will be very interesting…I promise…Author's Honor!

As Always and Forever…Enjoy!


	21. Hip Hop KITT

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**Hip-Hop KITT**

KITT quickly sent Sarah a text message as soon as he realized something...

KITT: Sarah, please close the chat window now! It is vulnerable to being observed by the audience.

Sarah suddenly understood KITT's urgency and quickly complied. Sarah X'd out the live video chat window and it disappeared from KITT's HUD. KITT then put the smaller, more manageable text box on the small black 7' Domino monitor. As per the security camera feeds, he just routed them through his processor and left no visual reference to them for the whole world to see.

With his hands still up in the air and his face still set in full on concentration, Mike winked slightly at KITT letting him know that he had done well.

KITT not only noticed the wink through the security camera footage but seemed to glow with pride at having done well for Michael. He was just glad that Michael had given him a second chance to do it all over.

Sarah and Billy were loving the antics of Mike and KITT just as much as the audience. Neither of them had seen both Michael and KITT act so crazy together like this before. Yeah, they had shared a joke or two and had even shared a game of water-guns but never something so off-the-wall as this...This was just plain _wacky_!

Mike slowly lowered his hands down to his sides and then spoke firmly for all to hear, "It's about time you pay attention to me!"

Everyone laughed at that, which was hard for them to do because they were all quickly taking pictures and videos of the newly revealed interior.

Mike then had to plan Phase 3 of his wild and yet attainable escape plan...How to get KITT out of here? It had to be a clean drive away with no one looking back...now, how do you do that?

Mike quickly ascended the small staircase and then shimmied cautiously between the conference table and the 4' drop off that was the very front end of the massive stage. And boy was he grateful when everyone sitting behind the long flimsy table decided to scoot back a couple of feet and moved the table back with them. He now had enough room to take a step back and swallow the slight bit of vertigo that he was feeling by being so close to the precarious edge.

Mike then playfully addressed the happy crowd, "I hear that KITT and I still have some die hard cynics out there. I mean, look at him. Not only is KITT handsome in his _RED HOT_ convertible mode, but he is also really glad to meet you all! KITT, show the nice people just how happy you are."

KITT knew that that was his cue to do something exciting and it only took one second for him to come up with exactly what it was going to be. With the lightening fast speed attributed to his high-tech awesomeness, KITT commanded his highly-sensitive nanobots to form the complicated system and network required to...

The attentive crowd suddenly erupted into a roar of joyous laughter and applause as KITT slowly began to use his newly formed high-powered hydraulics to bounce his bulky front end up and down.

Even though they loved it, KITT wasn't satisfied with just that. Any jerry rigged car could bounce on the front or the back wheels. Now, it was time to ramp things up a bit.

In order to prepare for his next brave maneuver, KITT started out light. He slowly and rhythmically bounced his front end up and down. Not too high, just a foot and a half to set the pace. Once he felt comfortable enough to add the back wheels into the mix, he did.

Now KITT looked like he was rocking from his front wheels to his back. Still, KITT kept it slow and low. He still had more crazy moves to perform. And by the sounds coming from the audience, KITT knew that they approved of his spontaneous and fun idea. He smiled internally and then concentrated fully on the precise calculations and timing that he needed for his next bold trick.

Mike was laughing openly at KITT's crazy antics. He knew that he had given KITT an open forum to pretty much do whatever he wanted but Mike would have never guessed that KITT wanted to be one of those crazy looking hip-hop cars. He was sort of glad that KITT had taken on the Domino form before he started bouncing back and forth like a huge rocking horse missing the wooden rocking bar.

Little did he know that the nice back-and-forth was only a precursor to KITT's next action.

The dark haired promoter hadn't planned a stunt show at this time. He knew that all this was really killing the time he had set aside specifically for the Knight Rider actors to bond with the gathered crowd. However, he couldn't say that neither he nor all of the Question & Answer Event panel members weren't enjoying the whole impromptu action, because they were. However, as with everything...All good things must come to an end.

The dark haired promoter carefully snuck up next to Justin and whispered so softly that the people sitting only 3 feet away couldn't hear. "Justin, I wish to thank you for using your awesome talent to entertain our audience. You have them all eating out of the palm of your hand. Also, you have me absolutely baffled as to how you are making that _car_ do that with no one behind the wheel, I will never know. But, now we need to focus..."

The dark haired promoter never had a chance to finish his statement. He was shocked silent and the words he had so carefully planned to deliver never reached his lips.

The timing was perfect. The sheer heights of his volleys were tall and perfect. And, if his calculations were made with the same attention to perfection, this was definitely going to be a crowd pleaser. So, that's what KITT named this crazy program just in case he had to access and/or use it again...The Crowd Pleaser.

Right when KITT was in mid-air between having already bounced on the back axel and rebounding into his front wheel bounce, he shifted his weight to the right and then led his forward bouncing hydraulic on his passenger's side to touch the cement walk only .5 of a second sooner than his driver's side wheel. And, it worked. Now, KITT had a sequential bounce that ran Passenger front-Driver's front- Driver's back- Passenger's back with only a .5 second delay between them all.

As soon as KITT's frame began to rock forward again on the next wave in the odd little circle he was making, he decided to do that again. He leaned a precisely measured bulk of his weight toward his passenger's side front wheel just as his forward thrust had hit its apex. It instantly had the same results as before. However, KITT now had a full second delay between each of the four wheels.

To a spectator's point of view, it looked like KITT was dancing from wheel to wheel. They loved it. Most had never in their whole entire existence seen anything like this. They had watched snippets of it on TV somewhere but it was never such an elaborate program as KITT was doing right now. To top it all off, KITT was doing it better and better by the second. And to show their enthusiastic happiness, they were all clapping in unison to an imaginary beat as they shouted KITT's name.

Once KITT felt comfortable and experienced enough to handle the hydraulics with ease, he started to mix up the action. He had been rhythmically bouncing front-front-back-back. Now, he wanted to change it up to a crisscross pattern. So, he carefully calculated how much weight and pressure to use on his last cycle around each wheel. Then he took another cycle around to double check his numbers.

Mike knew that KITT wasn't done. The current stunt was amazing in and of itself but he knew that KITT would want to try to improve upon it even more. KITT never ever settled on just getting it done right the first time. If he could make it even better, he would...Oh Yeah, he would.

The intoxicating enthusiasm of the chanting and clapping audience was all entrancing for KITT. It was helping spur on his more dare-devilish tendencies. Well, it was dare-devilish to him anyway. KITT was never the one to play as a Showman's Stunt Car for a live audience. He was built with stealth and apprehension of suspects in mind. This was new and different but KITT couldn't say that he disliked it.

Sarah and Billy were both stunned beyond words as they watched KITT go from a simple front axel bounce to the more complicated bounces that only a well trained and very experienced driver would ever even consider performing.

Sarah couldn't believe what she was seeing. No one had ever hinted about even adding hydraulics to KITT that would make him bounce around like a Mexican Jumping Bean. But not only was KITT pulling it off, he was also improving on it and changing up his repertoire. Sarah was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of his fluid movements especially since he had never even considered doing such a thing until and hour ago. Amazing. Simply Amazing.

Deep down inside Billy's geeky computer-loving self was a Billy that was always partial to cars. He loved every aspect of them and seeing this extraordinary spectacle being played out by the world's most amazing vehicle, nearly made him cry with joy. That was KITT! His KITT!

This is exactly why he had chosen to work with Dr. Graiman and Knight Industries. Billy had always felt comfortable around computers. Even at the tender age of 3, he was curious enough to take apart his See-An-Say to see how it worked. The crazy part was, he reassembled it so perfectly that his own parents didn't even know that he had even fiddled with it. They finally discovered his high aptitude for computers when they purchased an old used Apple II. It was nonfunctional when they got it but they figured that they could get it fixed later when they had enough money. Little Billy was only 10 years old and his eyes lit up like it was his birthday when his mom unpacked the clumsy thing from its unmarked cardboard box. Within 10 minutes, young Billy Morgan not only had it turned on and working but he also was playing a game on it.

When his Mom asked him how he had managed to not only get it turned on but also playing a game, the 10 year old dishwater blonde boy merely smiled and shrugged his little shoulders and said, "I don't know. I just played with it until it worked."

Ever since that day, he was encouraged to spend every second of his life working with computers. Don't get me wrong. He loved every single minute he spent learning about and/or playing on computers. He just happened to have another passion too. Cars. Well, it was more of an uninformed nerdy lust for hot cars. He couldn't tell you the fine differences between models but he did always stop to enjoy the view whenever he saw a real hot car.

Billy really loved his employment with FLAG, _especially today_. He got to not only work with the very latest in new and experimental technology but he also got to work with the very hottest of cars. And at this very moment, that very hot car was now a fiery red convertible dancing to a silent hip-hop beat. Billy was both excited beyond belief and confused about how KITT managed to know how to do it. But any way you look at it, he was loving every second of it.

Mike knew what the nice dark haired promoter was about to tell him. He knew that KITT and he were having a bit too much fun. And he knew that it was just about time to wrap this up. So, how do you stop a 2000lb dancing car and then explain it to an awestruck audience of hundreds? And to top it all off, he had to explain the obvious absence of a driver.

Well...Here goes nothing.

"KITT, hold on for a second." Mike yelled firmly at the top of his lungs.

KITT immediately slowed down his momentum and within 5 seconds, he came to a full stop that he augmented with a loud hiss of escaping air and a lowering of his frame as he settled. He was actually enjoying this game.

Now came the hard part, the part where he would not only have to convince a whole audience of unbelievers but he would also have to convince one cautious and skeptical. Lt. Cast. Yeah, this wasn't going to be some leisurely drive through a national park.

Even though his mind was racing. Even though there were several hundred pairs of eyes criticizing his every move. And even though he knew that KITT was currently paying close attention to him but couldn't read his mind and might not keep up with the plan. Mike was as calm and as ready as he was ever going to be.

Mike quickly descended the small metal staircase and headed straight for KITT. As he was making his way over to the RED HOT Mustang convertible, he loudly addressed the closely watching crowd, "As I have been telling you, this is KITT. By a showing of hands, how many of you believe that this is KITT?" The very second he finished asking, he dramatically patted his hand on KITT's hood just above KITT's driver's side wheel.

A little over half of the large gathered crowd reluctantly raised their hands.

Mike smiled wide at the crowd and then leaned his full weight trustingly against KITT's driver's side door with his arm lazily lying on the huge Roll Bar. In the same bold loudness but with no malice intended, he continued to interrogate the crowd. "Only half, huh? Even after you saw him do all of that without a driver?"

A couple more people raised their hands slowly.

"What about when he drove up to me with no help, no strings attached?" Mike continued with a wicked gleam in his soft eyes.

A few more people hesitantly raised their palms up in the air.

"And are you all forgetting his amazing stunt? A stunt he performed _driverless_?" He continued to taunt from his relaxed position leaning against KITT.

SARAH: KITT, what's Mike doing?

KITT: Talking

SARAH: I think that I had that figured out!

KITT: Then why did you ask?

SARAH: Never mind!

While smiling inwardly for having outwitted and frustrated Sarah, KITT realized real quick that whatever Michael had planned next was going to involve the Sarah clone. That didn't bode well for KITT's future sanity if he kept up the direct security camera feed of Fremont St to the SSC. Sarah would ask too many hard questions that he knew deep down inside, he wouldn't be able to answer. So, KITT did something drastic...

NO SIGNAL-CHECK SIGNAL SOURCE

Sarah and Billy were both caught completely off guard by the sudden appearance of a crackling static that was quickly followed by that nasty error in massive deep blue font. Billy quickly tried to recapture the signal while Sarah questioned KITT on exactly what just happened.

SARAH: KITT, we just lost our Fremont St. camera feed. What's going on?

KITT: It's nothing to be alarmed about.

KITT couldn't lie to Sarah but he could evade questions better than the best of them. And that was what he was up to now.

Now Mike acted like he was actually going to count every single hand that was raised up high in the air. He wanted them to believe that he was really going to poll them all. And to his surprise, more audience members quickly jetted their hands up as high as they could.

Mike grinned wickedly before he quickly pushed off of KITT and then turned to face him. "KITT, are you real?"

The quietly clamoring audience suddenly turned silent. They had all been debating on whether the red convertible was KITT or not. Most still held on tight to their skepticism. But at the same time, they steadfastly held up their hands because they either were mimicking the people around them or they just wanted to look good to Justin. Either way, it didn't matter. Nearly 75% of the smiling crowd had their hands raised up high in agreement. Now, they shushed each other in excited anticipation of Justin's results.

SARAH: KITT clarify...What's going on?

KITT: I cannot discuss it at this time. I strongly suggest that you inquire it of Michael when we return.

Sarah rolled her eyes in frustration. 'Not this again! All it does is prolong his suffering before he ultimately gives in to my relentless prodding.'

SARAH: KITT, you might as well re-initiate the feed or answer my question. You know that I won't give up.

KITT: Please Stand By...

KITT had no time to banter with Sarah right now. Michael had just turned around to face him and something very big was about to happen. KITT had a very strong inkling that whatever it was, he was going to be needed. His attention was going to have to be undivided.

Mike softly patted KITT's hood a couple of times and then announced, "Congratulations Everyone! All of you that have your hands up are..."

Mike suddenly paused once again to build up tension. He loved to dish out the suspense even more.

Sarah really wanted to continue prodding KITT for answers but she also wanted to hear what Mike had to say. So instead of typing away like a mad woman and missing the show of her lifetime, she did something she hadn't done since the highly annoying General Alarm interrupted her lazy Sat. afternoon. Sarah flopped down in the overstuffed leather office chair, propped her perfectly-manicured bare feet on the cluttered desk in front of her, and then she closed her eyes to get a better picture in her mind's eye. She wanted to see Mike, KITT, Las Vegas, Fremont St and whatever crazy stunt Mike had planned.

"Hey KITT, why don't _you_ tell 'em?" Mike asked sarcastically but didn't give KITT any time to actually respond before saying, "He can't! KITT is not _REAL_ people, though you, I, and the rest of the living world wish upon a thousand falling stars that he were, right?

Everyone in the crowd that had their hands raised up high in the air quickly pulled them down and began discussing whether or not they were right.

Mike knew that an explanation of KITT's magical driverless stunts was needed. Now that Sarah had shown him the hard-to-come-by remote control, Mike had a very good idea how they were going to convince this pretty gullible crowd how a driverless car could perform such difficult stunts with utter ease.

"Without further ado may I introduce, Dr. Sarah Graiman?" Mike announced as he happily extended his hand toward the Sarah clone in the audience.

Deanna gently took his hand and then stepped carefully out of her crowded spot in the audience. Like a prince leading a princess to the ball, her arm was delicately wrapped around his and her long piano-like fingers were interlaced with his.

The really real Sarah Graiman, not some imitation, gasped in realization and a bit of horror when she heard her name being called. She knew Mike had used her name to talk about someone other than her. Involuntarily, she yelled, "KITT, what in the H*** is going on?!"

Through his constant link to the security cameras in the SSC, KITT could see Sarah's instantaneous yelp of shock. He knew that it wasn't such a hot idea to allow Sarah to learn about Deanna. KITT himself was still having difficulty accepting the replicas of himself and KARR. This was exactly why he had closed the surveillance camera window in the 1st place. But one thing was for sure, he definitely wasn't answering any of her questions. Definitely.

Mike had no idea Sarah was eavesdropping and yet...he felt compelled to correct himself as he led her to the grey metal staircase. As soon as they topped the stairs, he separated from the Sarah clone to take his spot at the front and center of the crowded stage. "Actually, her name is Deanna Russo, I believe." He coyly added as he turned to face the woman who looked eerily similar to his Sarah.

Deanna stayed put at the top of the stairs. Mike may have wanted her to join him but as he looked at her pleadingly, she shook her head shyly and held firm to her position. She wasn't much of a get-up-on-stage-and-make-a-speech kind of a girl anyway. She could wait. Really...It was okay.

Mike grinned widely at the Sarah clone and then invitingly outstretched his hand to her. He laughed openly when she shyly shook her head "No" and took a couple of tentative steps back into the shadowy depth just behind her. In a way, that sudden shyness in the face of a massive crowd didn't match his Sarah. His Sarah had been a talented professor at a prestigious college. She was well used to addressing large groups of people. So seeing the shyness in this Sarah was fun and refreshing.

Mike gingerly hop-skipped over to the hiding Sarah clone with a wide open and inviting smile. Very softly, he gathered up her soft right hand into his and then he slowly shuffled backward to his spot center stage. "Come Miss Deanna. Don't be shy." He teasingly whispered under his breath.

At first, Deanna fought the inevitable as he gently tugged her into the brilliant white spotlight. She really didn't want to go onstage in the first place and she definitely didn't want to be out there alone. Yeah, she was an actress. But her chosen professional medium was TV. She could handle that just fine. However, theatrical performances in front of a critically watching audience were strictly forbidden.

Deanna had reluctantly agreed to do this festival because she was promised that she wouldn't be onstage alone and that if she had to present something, her time facing the scrutinizing audience would be extremely minimal. Joining this Michael Knight onstage did not sound healthy for her psyche.

KITT and the rest of the silent observers on Fremont St waited patiently for Michael to coax the Sarah clone out into the open. It was actually quite sweet to see him gather up her hand so tenderly. Her nervous laugh in the face of her desperation only added to everyone's amusement as they waited for Michael to pull her out into the open.

However, there was one individual that was clearly upset with this scenario and she couldn't even see what was going on. Sarah Graiman could only imagine in her mind's eye what _that woman_ was doing with her Mike. And the ooo's and ahh's coming for the packed crowd wasn't helping. However, Sarah did her level best to bite her lip and contain the boiling rage that was building up deep inside her.

Somehow, the gentle coaxing coupled with the light tugging managed to work. Mike was able to get a very reluctant Deanna to nervously stand center stage with him. Even though she had struggled with every step, she now stood firm and under her own power next to Michael, Michael Knight. Oh yeah...and that helped too. She had never met a fictional-character-come-to-life before, especially one with a fictional crush on her.

"Finally!" Mike happily announced. "Everyone this is Deanna. Deanna this is everyone!"

Without a word of prompting, the whole audience yelled in unison, "Hello Deanna!"

She blushed a brilliant red and then shifted nervously again.

"Well, now that you have got that out of your system, may I continue?" Mike teased and then said, "She alone holds the key to the mystery."

KITT steadied himself in preparation for his next big maneuver. Whatever Michael had planned, KITT needed to be prepared for it.

"Deanna, why don't you tell the nice folks about that little black device in your hand?" Mike led as he grinned knowingly at the Sarah clone.

She had one response for that. Deanna shoved the hotel remote control into Mike's hand. She then triumphantly waved her empty hands in the air all to see. "Nothing! I got nothing!" She grinned full-on in mock acknowledgement as she announced it in her best bad grammar.

Everyone broke out in laughter.

Mike gentle grabbed her right hand and then lifted it up to her chest level. With an exaggerated flare, he then slapped the little black remote into it. "No Excuses!" He announced devilishly. "You know that you are the only one that knows how to use this."

Deanna smiled shyly and then decided to just go along with it. So she positioned the little remote control so that it would be cradled in the left palm leaving her right hand free to dial in any imaginary code into it. The whole time it was aimed purposefully at KITT. "Okay, if I have to do it," She sarcastically whined. "Then you give me the directions and I'll have KITT do 'em."

"Sounds good." Mike readily agreed. "Okay, how about we start out easy? Make KITT flash his headlights at me."

Deanna suddenly shot Mike a wide-eyed look of surprise, "Are you kidding?" She asked exasperatedly. "You know very well that that is one of the toughest sequences to type in." She huffed through a soft smile.

Suddenly she began vigorously typing out an unknown code into the little remote. She was pressing the keys so fast and furious that only the clicking of the keys could be heard. Finally, she looked up at KITT with a little smirk on her face. "I think I got it right. Once I hit this key, KITT should flash his headlights in an S.O.S. pattern. Are you all ready?"

"Do it already!" He whined with a huge smile.

Deanna raised the little black remote up and pointed it even more deliberately at KITT and then with an added flare she raised her hand way up in the air before she came down fast onto the ENTER key. "Wham!" She yelled just for added drama.

Immediately, the fiery red convertible with the bold white racing stripes began flashing his headlights in Morse Code.

Mike let a grateful smile cross his lips...

Deanna watched with her mouth agape...

And the audience began to clap in appreciation.

"Thanks Deanna, now type in the code for telling KITT to come forward 2 feet." Mike instructed more to the crowd than to Deanna herself.

Once again, Deanna feverishly began typing out a code into the little remote control. Suddenly, she forcefully pointed it at KITT and then dramatically pressed the ENTER key.

KITT started his powerful engine, revved it twice for a dramatic effect and then let it grumble for a few seconds. He loved hamming it up for the crowd as much as Michael. And as long as Michael was feeding him the directions verbally like this, he could properly prepare and perform perfectly. Yes, they were a team again.

The restless crowd began to murmur to each other again. Most of them were trying to figure out how that little handheld remote could be coded to do so much. Or how that little red Mustang Convertible was able to perform all of it's abilities with no outward sign of added electronics. They were all highly excited about the whole scene.

"Okay, Deanna..." Mike began as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "One more request and then we will wrap this up. I want you to have KITT use his hydraulics to bounce from side to side."

Deanna slowly looked up at Mike trying to comprehend exactly what he wanted. "How so? Like before?"

Mike stood straight up dramatically and withdrew his hand from Deanna's shoulder. Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone on Fremont St. to hear, Mike clarified exactly what he wished Deanna to program into her little black remote. "I want KITT to use his hydraulics to..." then he quickly whispered his instruction into her ear.

Deanna's eyes grew wide as comprehension spread across her whole face. She even seemed to lose a little color for a half a second.

Mike smiled deviously. "I know that he can do it KITT is very talented. I trust his abilities."

"Mike do you seriously think...?" She began in a very unsure tone.

He cut her off. "Don't worry. He knows what he is doing. Just type it in."

"But how will he know what to do?" She whispered back with a little fear in her voice.

"Trust me. He knows." Then he winked again at KITT.

Deanna put on her most determined and stern expression. Her eyes were set on the keys of the remote as she precisely typed a willy-nilly pattern into the remote. Her back was taunt as she slouched slightly as she typed. And her beautiful brunette hair fell forward covering her face as she continued her work. It took a good couple of minutes before she felt satisfied that she had used enough code to make the crowd happy.

Carefully and with a purposeful slowness to add drama, Deanna straightened up to her full height and pointed the little remote at KITT with a very satisfied smile across her face. "Okay KITT," She began. "I hope you were paying attention."

Not only was KITT paying attention, he was also making all the necessary adjustments and calibrations he needed to pull off this stunt. He had never seen this stunt in action. He had never even heard if this stunt had been pulled off successfully or not. But that didn't matter. He was KITT. He was a highly advanced computer wrapped up in a highly responsive car. He had quicker reflexes than any human driver and he had a quicker processing power than any human driver. He could react to any malfunction with skill and ease and make it look like nothing had ever been wrong. Yeah, KITT was ready...Ready as he would ever be.

"Okay," Deanna chocked out apprehensively. "NOW!"

At first, KITT did nothing outwardly. He had to prime the hydraulics and prepare the systems. But that only lasted about 2 seconds. With precise timing that only a computer such as KITT could do, he sent a simultaneous command to both his driver's front and rear tires. Only on that side of the car. They responded in perfect unison with a 5 inch high bounce.

The shocked audience stayed silent as they took pictures and video recordings. Only the left side of the Red KITT Mustang was bouncing...only the left side. Wow!

Within another second, KITT commanded the bounce to gain a little more air...The heavy duty hydraulics responded instantly and still in unison. And even though KITT could feel the slight burden to his axel and frame, he knew that he was doing just fine. So he decided to ramp it up to Michael's request. It was time to integrate the right side of his body into the mix.

While continuing to send the necessary commands to his Driver's side hydraulics, KITT timed his next move down to the millisecond. He needed to. He wanted this maneuver to look flawless and that required flawless instructions at the perfect time. Sure enough, just as his driver's side tires touched down to the sun warmed cement walkway, his passenger's side tires quickly lifted up into the air.

The audience reaction was instantaneous. They roared in loud approval as they watched and recorded it for posterity. Most were clapping but some had to yell out their happiness. This awesome remote controlled car was amazing!

Mike smiled widely at KITT as he watched his talented partner show off his stuff. He knew that KITT had gained a confidence that he hadn't had last year but he didn't think that KITT would be so brave as to perform stunts for a wildly screaming crowd. He had to be pleased as well as surprised with KITT. "Good Job KITT." Mike silently mouthed as he watched KITT, his partner and friend, bounce from his left side to his right.

KITT was just settling back down from his amazing stunt when he saw Michael say, "Good Job KITT." He beamed with pride on the inside. He had not only made Michael proud of him. He had also made Michael have the need to praise him. Today is a good day!

KITT only did the side bounce for about 3 hops per side. It was tougher on his frame and axel than the crisscross pattern and he didn't want to limp home tomorrow. Sarah would be mad and he would have only himself to blame. Just the idea almost made him blush in his CPU.

Mike knew that it was time to wrap this up. The dark haired promoter was giving him the frustrated evil eye. It wasn't mean-spirited just pushy. "Okay Sarah," He announced boldly for the entire crowd to hear. "Time to get KITT that car wash you promised him."

Deanna gave him an astonished and fearful stare. Was he asking her to join him? Was she about to take a ride in KITT? Did she want to take a ride in KITT? Oh My Gosh! Her mind was spinning with questions and possibilities.

Mike could see the visible fear in Sarah, Deanna's, soft brown eyes. He could see her whirling with his prospect. He smiled a knowing soft smile and gathered up her incredibly soft hand into his. And when she flinched, he only slightly tightened his grip on her hand. "Follow me. It will be okay." He whispered softly in her ear and then turned toward the grey metal staircase descending from the stage.

KITT couldn't believe what he was seeing. Mike was going to bring a stranger into here? A woman who looked the very part of Sarah. A woman who if Sarah saw her would get a wild earful. A woman who looked just as scared to be asked to ride in him as he was to have her ride in him. But KITT swallowed the virtual lump in his throat and prepared for a passenger.

The crowds awed as they watched Mike slowly descend the stairs like a prince leading a princess. He was careful to point out each deep step all the while keeping his strong handhold and reassuring gaze. It was definitely like a fairy tale. They loved it. It was sweet and wonderfully played out for them.

At the bottom of the stairs, Mike leaned in close to Deanna and breathed a question into her sensitive ear. "I need you to call KITT here. My darling should never have to walk to him."

Deanna felt her knees nearly buckle as she felt his warm breath against the side of her neck. Did he have to be that close?! Her mind yelled at her as she stabilized both her body and her soul. Finally, her mind wrapped around his suggestion and she quickly typed in a short code before she lifted her remote and pointed it at KITT. "Okay KITT, get ready to come here." She playfully ordered him and then dramatically pressed the ENTER button.

KITT instantly started his powerful growling engine. It grumbled madly and then rumbled softly as it idled.

The happily gathered audience smiled in appreciation as they listened to the red Mustang Convertible's engine do more than purr. It threatened. It meanly growled and they all swooned at the deep baritone sound. Several women seemed to close their eyes and just soak up the grumbling through their pores. It was pure heaven for everyone.

Finally, KITT decided to obey the verbal commands of the Deanna woman. He put his strong transmission in first and gently, smoothly made his way over to Michael and Sarah. At first, it felt odd to actually be moving forward. His wheels and hydraulics were still primed from his stunt and they seemed to be complaining at him about just driving forward. Plus, he could feel every point in his frame that had complained about the stress of his wild stunts. KITT really needed a good long stretch of road to loosen up and wind down. Good thing they were getting out of here!

The instant KITT came to a stop in front of him; Mike gentlemanly opened the bright red passenger side door for Deanna. He waited patiently as she slowly, tentatively decided that it was okay to get inside the posh convertible. She didn't need to be pushed into something she didn't want to do.

SARAH: KITT, what is going on?

KITT had momentarily forgotten about the chat window in the Domino screen and those words made him jump inside his CPU. He wanted to close that window very badly but Sarah had still made it nearly KITT proof. The only course of action he had now was to turn off the Domino labeled monitor but allow Sarah to just send the text to his CPU. Upon that discovery, he did just that.

Mike pranced around the front of KITT after he had gently closed the Sarah clone inside KITT. He grinned like a mad dog at the audience and then did something that he had only seen in a Dukes of Hazzard show. He leaped clear over the reddish door and slid down into the plush beige leather seat.

With a massive toothy grin, Mike slid KITT out of gear and slammed his lead foot down on KITT's sensitive accelerator. He nearly shook with happiness as KITT's powerful engine wailed deafeningly. It echoed viciously off of the Fremont St Experience canopy and resounded all the way down the tunnel like walkway.

The huge audience screamed and began clapping. Even if this was just a red convertible Mustang and not the real KITT that they knew, it had earned their appreciation a long time ago. And this was just another great reason why this car was just spectacular! So they did everything they could think of to let Justin and anyone know that they loved this car! That included: screaming, clapping, whistling, and even catcalls!

Deanna slid down in an embarrassed heap in her soft leather passenger's seat. She wasn't used to this kind of stuff ever and had even considered getting out. But her curiosity about KITT and this odd Mike character made her decide to stay. However, she still felt highly embarrassed and covered her face.

"MAKE WAY!" Mike yelled as he angled KITT toward a small opening in the gathered crowd.

Deanna slid even further down in the seat and KITT did his best to shield her as the crowd parted to let him by but kept up its happy whistling and catcalls. KITT could feel her rising body temperature as she curled up tightly in his passenger's seat. He even turned on the A/C on her side to help cool her down.

Mike slowly made his way out of the limelight and through the guard gate leading off of Fremont St. He fastidiously kept his eyes open for stray children or oblivious walkers as he slowly, excruciatingly made his way. He would be devastated if they had hurt anyone.

Within minutes…

Mike had hit the wide open freeway.

KITT was soaring at a little over 100mph.

And Deanna was stretching out in her soft beige seat with the warm March air dancing through her long brown hair.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: YEY!!!!!!! I finished it! OMG! That was a long one! I even split it up…This chapter alone was 15 pages long. O_O

Thank you _EVERYONE_!!!!!!! You all keep me writing! Love the positive reviews!

Thank you again!

As always…

Enjoy!


	22. Revelations

**Knight Rider Festival '09**

**Revelations**

The midday morning sun beat down relentlessly on the black asphalt of Interstate 15 freeway. It warmed not only the red hot Mustang convertible but also its two unprotected passengers.

KITT was finally loosening up enough to feel like himself again. It had taken nearly 100 miles to do so too. It was fun to be a stunt car but boy was he glad to have nothing but the open road and his passengers to worry about.

Mike hadn't intended on kidnapping the Sarah clone. Now he had no idea what to do. The poor girl must be scared, confused, and lost. Yeah, he had a feeling that she knew that he was different, not that Justin guy. But he still didn't know what he should do with her now.

Deanna finally stretched out and let the warm sun and the cool March air relax her. She knew that she was safe with Mike and KITT and that she really had nothing to fear. Just the thought about something like that made her smile. Now that she was here, she knew that she would be getting some straight answers. Now, her only dilemma was how to get them to talk.

KITT missed his sleek black Shelby shell. Yeah, being Domino was great fun that he would never forget. But he found that his so-called Normal Mode was comfortable. A feeling or sense of being him. Now how was he going to relay that to Michael?

Mike suddenly had a feeling that something wasn't right. KITT had been silent for too long. The motor had an odd feeling of expectation and hesitation. "KITT are you okay?"

"The next exit is Nipton Rd Michael. May we exit there?" He asked carefully.

"Yeah KITT, as long as we will be able to get back to Vegas from there." Mike eyed the globe-like voice modulator worriedly.

"That road has a very sufficient entry and exit system." KITT answered hopefully and prepared to exit almost happily.

Deanna stayed as silent as a stalking cat. She had no idea what their destination was but knew that she really wasn't needed in their decision making anyway. Not only that, she wanted both of the partners to feel relaxed around her. Whatever they had planned, she knew that it would be interesting to say the least.

SARAH: KITT, I have given you ample time to respond what is going on???

KITT: Please Stand By

SARAH: TO H*** WITH THAT KITT! ----- Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs as she beat the words into her sensitive terminal.

Billy silently scootched away from Sarah, angled his body away from her, and then bowed his head deeply over his huge console as he pretended to be concentrating hard on his current task. He knew better than to disturb her when she was in one of those moods. And he knew that it was best to shut up, look busy, and stay out of her way.

KITT could only wish that Sarah's tirade wasn't focused on him, but it was. He definitely didn't have this in mind as his goal for today. But he could foresee no other solution to his current dilemma. KITT knew that it wasn't his place to reveal the Sarah clone to Sarah. He also knew that he could not lie to Sarah. And now, he was beginning to personally understand the term, Catch 22.

Mike had no idea of KITT's current predicament. All he knew or needed to know right now was how to reveal himself and KITT to the Sarah clone as stress free as possible.

Once they were a good mile down Nipton Rd., Mike carefully pulled KITT over onto the soft silty sand shoulder. He wanted as calm a moment as possible and this seemed to be the one. The warm March sun shone brightly and reflected off every single surface of KITT. The breeze was cool and light and seemed to just be enough to waft over any exposed skin thus keeping him cool. And KITT seemed to be calm too. He didn't really say much of anything. Mike felt that this was just the perfect moment to do this.

"Deanna, I know that you have your suspicions about KITT and me. I know that you even helped him and I get out of that jam and back together again. So, I want to alleviate your fears about him, me and even you." Mike stated almost peacefully as he locked his warm brown eyes with hers. "I _AM_ the Michael Knight of your so-called TV Show."

He paused to let his words sink in.

"I am the man that can make a difference." He continued very coolly. "And this extraordinary car _IS_ KITT."

Once again, he paused to let her soak up his words properly.

Deanna took in a breathless gasp. Yeah, she had known all along. But she had never believed that he would actually confirm her theories. She wasn't supposed to be right and this wasn't supposed to be happening to her.

"Michael," KITT interrupted suddenly. "May I change into something more comfortable?"

Mike grinned happily but didn't just blurt out a yes. He knew that this was something huge to the passenger seated beside him. "KITT, only if she is okay with it."

Deanna's lump in her thought just turned into a massive boulder. Was KITT about to do what she thought that he was about to do? No Way! Right? Her mind went racing and even the barrenness of the desert wasn't calming anymore.

"Miss Russo may I transform into my Cruise Mode?" KITT asked as nonchalantly as possible. He could tell by her racing vitals that she was highly apprehensive and that she may not want or be able to handle such a drastic change to her environment.

"It will be okay." Mike assured her carefully.

Deanna couldn't formulate words right now. She was too far in shock. Not only was she inside a fantasy car, she was also about to have it perform something that should have only been fictional. And to top it all off she was going to have front row seats to the WHOLE THING! Of course she wanted him to go for it! But instead of an excitedly screaming YES, all Deanna could do grab onto the armrest and nod her head.

"Is that a yes?" KITT asked hopefully.

She nodded slightly again and then gritted her teeth in anticipation. Every muscle in her body tensed up and she had to force her eyes to stay open.

Mike couldn't help but laugh out loud. She looked like she was preparing to have her blood drawn forcefully and it just wasn't that bad.

She turned to him and glared a viciously at him and asked, "And what is so funny?" She asked through her gritted teeth.

Mike smiled mischievously and then lightly offered, "You."

Sarah scowled even deeper at Mike and then folded her arms across her chest and growled deeply. She, however, wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of an answer. That would just play into his oddly cruel joke.

Mike loved seeing this version of his Sarah. Deanna really looked like his Sarah when she did this and he really wanted to lean in ever so gently and give her a soft reassuring kiss. But he knew better. He knew that this wasn't his Sarah and there would be some tough repercussions if he did. So, he swallowed his feelings as best as he could and just carefully reached over and clasped her hand very gently. He was going to try to say something gentle, sweet, and reassuring but he just couldn't formulate the right words in his head. So he just squeezed her hand and hoped that would work.

KITT watched with fascination. He was supposed to have started his transformation sequence over a minute ago, but the Deanna woman looked totally panicked and he thought that it was best to hold off until either Michael or he could settle her down. And by the way her vitals had calmed, it looked like Michael was doing a very good job with it. He knew that it was only a matter of seconds before he could shluff off this Domino cloak for his more versatile Normal mode.

SARAH: KITT! Answer me!

Sarah was getting a little more than mad at KITT for ignoring her. Whatever was going on, she had a right to know! She needed to know for the safety of her operative and just for her own sanity.

Billy could see that KITT wasn't going to just open up and start talking any time soon. Plus, he could see that his general mental safety was in danger if Sarah turned on him. So, he suddenly took it upon himself to find a reason to slip away. Now, it was only a matter of what was soo important that he had to leave now.

Snackage? No.

Emergency in one of the lower levels? No.

Injury? Wait...Yeah....Now what kind of injury?

Billy considered many for a minute there...

Papercut? Already did that.

Sudden Uncontrollable need to use the restromm? Already did that.

Billy was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the silent shuffling of a tiny pair of feet approaching him. And when an extra-soft pair of hands covered his eyes, he bounced up in his chair and then fell out, literally. His missed the leather rolling office chair and landed hard on the unforgiving concrete floor with an audible 'oof'.

Zoe burst out laughing as she tried and failed to catch the adorable klutz. She was only trying to surprise him and it turned out to be a little more than Billy could handle and she couldn't help but let out a huge belly laugh.

Sarah gave the two of them the evil eye. She was still livid at KITT and didn't need the disrupting antics of the two of them. "You guys, pay attention!" She growled out the order before she turned back to her terminal with a huff.

Zoe leaned down ever so quietly to the prone Billy and whispered, "What's got her?"

Billy struggled roughly with the rolling office chair and finally latched a hand onto the desk as he whispered back, "Mike and KITT are up to something and KITT won't tell her. Be careful. You might not need all your languages to interpret what she is about to say if you know what I mean."

Zoe laughed softly and then offered Billy a stabilizing hand to stand up. Very quietly, she added, "Sounds like this needs a girl's touch. Do you want a break? I'll take over from here?"

Billy could not be more thrilled if she had offered him another date. He leapt up instantly and before he even realized what he was doing, he gave her a soft peck on the check before he dashed out of the room. No more than 30 seconds later, it suddenly hit him. HE KISSED ZOE!!!!!

Zoe stood there in shock. She even blushed a bit. Billy was such a cute guy and she had played with the idea of kissing him but never had even considered getting one from him. She softly caressed the spot where his soft lips had touched her check and then blinked away any stupid amorous ideas before she sat down.

Sarah gave Zoe a did-I-see-what-I-thought-I-saw look. And Zoe merely shrugged as she plopped down hard into Billy's still-warm office chair.

"Soooooo," Zoe began playfully as she propped both of her tiny elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her palms. "What's going on?"

Sarah huffed once again and then jerked back to her terminal but didn't say anything.

"Is it man trouble again?" Zoe tried with a flair of mischief.

Sarah shot a nasty glare at Zoe that would have killed a Care Bear on site. But not Zoe. She loved a challenge. "It is isn't it? Is it Mike? What's he doing now?" Zoe asked as she finally decided to check out just what Billy was up to at his terminal.

Sarah turned red with fury and then ground out a vicious threat. "Either help me out or get out Zoe. I don't need this right now."

Zoe playfully smiled back and then asked just as playfully, "Jealous much?"

Sarah's brown eyes turned HUGE as her nose flared and her fists balled up. "I AM NOT JEALOUS OF ANYONE!"

Zoe backed off for a second but then quickly dug around in the top desk drawer of her cluttered workstation. She wasn't fazed at all by Sarah's obvious tirade. But she did have a plan to shock Sarah out of it. Within a second, she pulled out a hot pink compact and flipped it open. And in one fluid motion, Zoe turned the mirror on Sarah and shoved it in her face.

At first, Sarah dodged the little circle mirror that was so rudely shoved in her face. But when Zoe continued to hold it there, she finally glanced at her tiny reflection.

Sarah finally saw herself as the world or at the moment Zoe was seeing her. She saw her fiery narrowed red-rimmed eyes. She saw her furious red blush that blazed a hot trail across her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears. She saw her tightly pressed lips hiding the tightly clenched teeth ready to snarl at anyone. She saw her red rimmed nostrils wide open and nearly puffing out smoke just like a raging bull getting ready to gore a taunting Matador.

Sarah immediately relaxed herself and even got a little sad as she realized that she had turned that vicious look on both of her best friends. "I'm sorry Zoe." She barely whispered as she bowed away.

Zoe quickly turned the small round compact mirror and checked her perfect makeup. She peeked over the hot pink compact and winked as she said, "No problem. It's not like you haven't had a few hotties on your arm."

Sarah blushed a light pink again but this time it was because of her embarrassment and the mental images she saw.

Zoe snapped closed the hot pink compact with one hand and then leaned against her desk while facing Sarah and asked calmly, "Are you really that worried about him?"

'Well, kinda sorta...' Sarah mentally answered but merely shrugged silently as she turned back to her waiting workstation.

Zoe suddenly did something very uncharacteristic of Zoe. She suddenly leaped out of her seat and gave Sarah a tight reassuring hug. "Don't worry girl." She whispered softly into Sarah's ear. "You know that he loves you."

Meanwhile, on a hot deserted desert road called Nipton Rd, a Fire Engine red convertible sat on the sandy shoulder baking in the hot midday sun. It should have been engaging in a miracle of modern scientific programming...Transforming. However, the red hot convertible sat silent and motionless.

"KITT, go ahead." Mike encouraged as he gently held the Sarah clone's hand.

"Beginning Transformation" KITT stated emotionlessly.

Deanna's grip on Mike's hand tightened in anticipation.

Mike merely smiled softly at her and squeezed back. He knew that she had nothing to fear but right now just about anything that he would say would be considered with heavy cynicism. So he just held her gaze and squeezed her hand.

KITT decided that it was best to take this process nice and slow this time. He wanted to be sure not to totally frighten the girl. His transformation was not something to fear but to marvel at and wanted to be sure that his first impression of his transformation by a stranger was a huge success.

Deanna had pondered closing her eyes and just waiting it out. But then she thought, 'When will I get another opportunity like this?' So she opened her eyes and braced herself hard against the seats.

At First, nothing happened. KITT had to load up his Cruise Mode program and then run it.

Suddenly, KITT's highly reactive nanoskin began to glow in preparation of the transform. Then KITT started from the front and worked his way back. The lower groundsweep seemed to grow right out of mid air and pop in the 2 large Superman blue Xenon lights. Then the Nanoskin of the bumper began to change color as it shaped itself into KITT's previous model.

Next, the bright red bumper and grille that was characteristic of Domino shimmered in preparation of its alteration. Then very slowly, centimeter by centimeter, KITT's bumper turned black and then reshaped itself and the 2 Matte black stripes seemed to take over the brilliant white that was characteristic of Domino. The bright red crossbar grille was next. Like a virus totally taking over its host, the nanoskin transformation slowly inched up KITT's bumper and crawled over the crossbar grille summarily changing it from red to deep black and turning the large crossbars into a latticework mesh. And then out of nowhere appeared the Knight Industries cobra. It seemed to slither into existence and stand hissing at the world from its perch on KITT's grille.

The next sequence in his transformation program was his favorite mandatory device, something he couldn't live very long without, his scanner. It was still surreptitiously hidden behind KITT's ingeniously designed cloaking mesh. And that was KITT's primary excuse for wanting his own body back.

Immediately, the nanobots that had formed the scanner cloaking mesh were absorbed into KITT's frame. Then the newly revealed scanner was brought forward and aligned front and center.

Next came the fenders, wheels, and hood. And like the bumper and grille, the nanoskin took over the area like a plague of locusts swarming over a piece of farmland. The bright red fenders needed very little change except for color. Which KITT did rather quickly.

Then the red hood came next and was slightly more complicated. But that wasn't what was making KITT anxious about this particular sequence of his transformation. This part was going to be the very first visible change preformed while a stranger was present. 'Well, she was virtually a stranger.' KITT reasoned inside his CPU as his nanoskin did its thing.

At first, Deanna couldn't see or feel anything. So, she relaxed into Mike's comforting and reassuring hand hold. She even stretched out and relaxed her back into the seat. 'Maybe this wasn't so bad." She thought idly.

Suddenly movement or a shimmering of a movement caught her eye. Instead of panicking and holding on tighter to Mike's hand, Deanna ripped off her seatbelt and leaned in up close to KITT's dashboard. She was not breathless but she was definitely transfixed by the shimmering transformation. It looked like the black color was just chewing its way through the red. It was changing the very surface of the hood and leaving a colorless void of black in its place. And Deanna couldn't help but smile.

KITT continued to keep his transformation as slow as possible. And seeing the Sarah clone's optimistic reaction helped spur him on. If he could have smiled, he would be right now.

As KITT worked on transforming the red hood of Domino, he also worked on transforming his front corner panels. They were not really that visible to his occupants and it was a fairly simple change. Plus, this would keep his transformation symmetrical.

Mike noticed. He didn't miss much when it came to KITT anyway. He leaned gently against the door and then sneaked a peek out of his driver's side window.

Yes, he had witnessed a lot of KITT's transformations while inside and outside of KITT. However, this was vastly different. KITT's transformations had always been speedy to say the least. It had always been necessary for him to perform it quickly. And Mike had always enjoyed the whole experience even when most of it happened so quickly he missed it. This however, was a new way of seeing it. This was like watching a tidal wave coming at you in slow motion. Mike loved it!

Next came the wheels and that was one of the simplest changes of all. Why? Because he always had to changes the design of his wheels every time he would initiate a new mode.

Mike's jaw dropped as he watched the spider-like 5 star-spokes raise up, fold out and up, and the suck into the wheel itself. Then he watched as KITT's normal mode design popped up and into place in the very same second.

Mike smiled slightly as he watched it. And the crazy thing was, he didn't even know that he was smiling.

KITT saw it and he couldn't help but smile even bigger inside his CPU.

Now, it was decision time. KITT needed to decide whether to take the task of transforming the interior now or save it for last? Suddenly, another colloquialism he had heard Michael say helped him make up his mind. It went like this, "Save the best for last."

KITT decided to work on the convertible top now. Save the interior for later. But that also left him with another decision. Should he form his ceiling totally out of thin air No base product to change. Just a whole new or old as per se, ceiling appearing out of nowhere. Or should he raise Domino's original canvas top and then convert it into his own?

KITT considered discussing it with Michael but then decided that it would still ultimately become his decision. So, he weighed the pros and cons of such a drastic change for a few seconds. He finally decided upon the latter. If he had chosen to form his ceiling with the needed nanobots out of mid-air, it could draw undue attention from any passers by. Raising a convertible top was the best discrete idea.

Earlier, he had reabsorbed the nanobots back into his frame when he had folded it neatly into his trunk. Now he had to re-engineer it. Just for fun and to see if he could do it, KITT decided that he would build the convertible top as he raised it up out of his trunk.

Deanna couldn't stop looking at the now black and spot polished surface of KITT's hood and sides. "Amazing." She muttered in astonishment.

As Mike, looked over at the Sarah clone, he caught the work of what KITT was doing out of the corner of his eye. A glimpse of tan. A shadow of movement. That's all Mike needed to see to catch his attention. With a couple of grunts and a repositioning of his legs, he managed to twist himself around in his driver's seat to get a better view.

What Mike saw made his eyes go a little wider and his mind race a bit. He could see that KITT was forming the canopy as it was being raised. He could almost see the nanobots as they took their places, formed into the polyurethane, and then took on the tan color. It was a miracle of science that he thought could only happen on TV. Now, before his very eyes, that probability became a reality.

"Isn't this amazing?" Deanna turned to ask Mike.

He didn't answer her. To be honest, he didn't hear her. He wasn't paying attention.

That's when Deanna caught her first glimpse of KITT's work on the ceiling. Nearly a quarter of it was done and it looked exactly like a canvas top made by a Mustang manufacturer back in 1994. However, she was missing the most critical point of this endeavor. She didn't see that he was actually building it right there out of nothing more than the nanobots provided to him.

"Justin, are you okay?" She asked with real concern as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Mike managed a cool, calm glance in her direction. He was actually thrilled. But he didn't need to tell her that. "I'm Mike remember?" He pointed out with a huge grin and then added, "Yeah, doing well. How about you? What do you think?"

Deanna leaned back in her seat and stared up at the rising canvas top. The newly formed convertible top was a little over halfway up. It was already beginning to cover up the warm March sun. Deanna didn't seem to care much though. Just being inside a real live KITT was nearly overwhelming enough.

Mike couldn't take his eyes off of KITT's work. It was beyond cool to see it appearing out of nothing. And watching it grow was also hypnotic in a way. Mike actually spaced out for a second as he watched it.

Within a few more seconds, the polyurethane convertible top clicked into place with an audible hiss.

Deanna reached up and carefully ran her long fingernails along the textured, tan ceiling. She had no reason to touch it but she _had_ to.

Mike quickly turned back around in his seat to face forward. He wanted to see what KITT was going to do next. Yeah, he had 'Been There-Done That'. But KITT had never preformed the change so slow before now. It had always been necessary or more comfortable for KITT to do it quickly. This was definitely a whole different experience and Mike wasn't going to miss a second.

In one way, that only lasted for a second, because KITT had plans for that tan convertible top. The canvas top shimmered lightly in preparation of it transform. It was pretty. It looked like very ceiling had taken on a aura of its own.

Deanna wanted to reach up and feel that shimmer. Did it have a feel? Was it soft? Was it electrified? Would it hurt?

Only one seat away, Mike was wondering the same thing. He had seen the Sarah clone's analyzing touch of the ceiling. Now he wondered what the pre-transform sequence felt like.

However, neither one reached out to touch it. They both just leaned back and watched.

KITT also decided to keep up the symmetry of his transform. So, at the same time as he was converting the convertible top, he would also be changing his doors.

Like fog rolling into the San Francisco Bay, the shimmer darkened and the light tan color and canvas texture converted into a platinum colored felt on the inside of KITT and a solid Midnight Black finish on the outside of KITT with 2 Matte black stripes leading to the back.

What neither Mike nor Deanna had seen was the all encompassing black taking over the Fire Engine red on KITT's doors. It had spread across the doors just as quickly as it had dominated the roof. Even Mike missed this.

KITT quickly ran a special diagnostic of his newly converted ceiling to confirm that he hadn't missed any spots. He also needed to be sure that it conformed to all of his design and safety standards. It was very important to double check this. If anything horrible did happen, he needed to know that his passengers would be safe.

That's when Deanna noticed that the outside of her door had changed its shape and color. "Wow, he's quick." She exclaimed as she leaned against her door to get a better look out the window.

"Actually Deanna," KITT interjected helpfully. "I am performing this alteration at 15% of my normal speed."

"And don't I know it." Mike readily agreed. "I had never realized how much really happens during a transform KITT."

"I will take that as a compliment." KITT snickered.

"Since that was how it was intended," Mike grinned back. "I will let you."

Deanna watched their banter like spectator watching a tennis match. She kept looking from Mike to the 7" Domino monitor and then back at Mike after a quick comment from KITT. The dialog was perfect. The characters matched perfectly. And if Deanna didn't know better, she would swear that this was a well choreographed hoax. Where was Alan Funt these days?

KITT had already begun his work on the plastic back window as well as the small back windows and side panels behind the doors. He had already converted all his wheels. So this was the last hurdle he had to surpass before he could work on the back.

To both Mike and KITT's surprise, Deanna got out. She literally jumped out and walked around to the back of KITT. She didn't say a word but took up a spot about 3' away from KITT at the back wheel on the passenger's side.

KITT immediately paused his transform.

Mike was so shocked by the sudden move that all he could do was question her before her door closed leaving him all alone inside KITT. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly as he climbed out. "Are you okay?"

Deanna gave him and odd look and then defended, "Well yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"The way you just flew outta KITT right now," Mike explained warily. "It looked like you were upset."

"No!" Deanna exclaimed a little too loudly. "No Way! I just wanted to get a better view."

Mike then grinned knowingly and then joined her in watching KITT change back into himself.

KITT didn't need to be told to proceed. Once Michael had determined that the Sarah clone was not upset, he re-initiated his transformation from where he had emergency stopped at.

Deanna and Mike watched raptly as the flimsy plastic convertible window solidified into glass and then fogged up into a dark black tint.

"Wow." Deanna gasped.

The two back windows rolled up and into place. Then they also fogged up to a nearly blacked out tint. The really cool feature about these windows was that they were then totally surrounded by shiny black metal paneling. That metal paneling was actually transformed out of the glass that had been the back windows of his Domino Mode.

It was beyond cool to see!

The last part of his outer transformation was really easy. So KITT decided to do it a bit quicker. The whole aft section of KITT shimmered in preparation of the transform.

Both back panels behind the wheels and KITT's bumper instantly turned a pitch black. There was no inching, crawling, or virus-like effect in the take-over. It was instantaneous like turning on a light switch. Except this was a blackness that was so colorless that it didn't even reflect a color.

Deanna jumped back in surprise. She hadn't expected the sudden change and it startled her.

Mike grinned widely. This was the transform speed that he was most familiar with. This was the speed and style he was used to. All this 'slow, take your time' stuff was way too weird. This was his KITT.

In another quick movement, well not as quick as the last one, he pulled in his special spoiler he had made for his Domino Mode. Then he pushed out his Normal Mode spoiler a half a second later. More or less, it entailed a re-integration of the same nanobots.

Right after that, KITT instructed his nanobots to change the color and shape of his trunk lid and tail lights. It only took a second and then KITT called the transform of his outer shell complete.

Well, that is except for one piece that still read...DMO.

KITT saved it for last. It was his license plate. And it only required a flourish of a flipping, which KITT loved to do.

Deanna had already stepped over to inspect KITT's back when she saw KITT flip the old style Ca plate to reveal a new Ca license plate that read...77KR117. She grinned widely. Each little touch made KITT so perfect. How could she not love this?

KITT ran a thorough diagnostic of his Normal Mode Outer Shell. Everything needed to match specifications perfectly. Everything! There had to be no missing sections. No flubs. And absolutely no safety mistakes. This scan only needed a few seconds but it was highly important.

Deanna slowly took a lap around KITT. She had spent a lot of time around the Mustang cars that represented KITT on TV. So, she felt that she was somewhat of an expert on KITT. And what were her findings?

"Amazing." She uttered in astonishment.

KITT had decided that once his outer shell passed inspection that he would pause his transform for the moment. It was more than obvious that the Sarah clone was enjoying his transformation. KITT didn't want her to miss a single second.

"Of course." Mike chuckled. "Did you expect anything less?"

"No way! But Wow!" Deanna exclaimed almost speechless.

"Well, you know there is more, right?" Mike joked as he opened up the passenger door in font of her.

"Oh Yeah...The inside." She muttered out loud as she kneeled down to take a peek.

KITT still hadn't started work on that yet. He needed to know if they were going to climb inside and watch as it happened all around them. Or, were they going to stand outside and watch from a distance. It was primarily up to Deanna and how she felt about it all.

Deanna considered stepping back inside KITT. Mike's offer was chivalrous but was she actually going to sit in a chair that was going to literally change right beneath her? I THINK NOT!

"KITT could you lower this window so that I can watch what you are doing from out here?" Deanna asked carefully.

"Yes, of course Miss Russo." KITT obliged and then lowered both of his windows.

Mike gave Deanna and KITT questioning looks and then decided that it was best not to ask and just closed the door and leaned inside the window. Whatever was the Sarah clone's fear, he didn't want to aggravate it by questioning her.

Deanna gave Mike an exasperated glare and then walked around the front of the car to the driver's side. "The least you could do is let me see in my own window." She grumbled.

"Actually, if you want to be technical it is my window. KITT is mine." Mike joked back as he watched the Sarah clone lean in.

"No," KITT interrupted jovially. "It is _my_ window. Obviously."

"Obviously." Deanna agreed with a chuckle that was mimicked by Mike at the very same time.

They all shared a laugh together for a few more seconds before KITT decided that it was time to get down to business again.

INITIATING TRANSFORMATION

He stated emotionlessly.

Both Mike and Deanna became silent in anticipation as they waited for KITT to do his thing again. It wasn't like they would distract KITT into making a mistake. It was just...I don't know...Proper.

KITT needed to do his globe first. He needed to be himself and that was definitely him. So, the very first interior change was to get his globe-like voice modulator back. And he did. KITT decided that the best way to do this was to soak in the 7" LCD screen and then pop his globe back in its spot.

Deanna gasped as she watched the LCD screen shimmer and then vanish into the dash. She was about to try to touch it when the globe-like eye of KITT popped up out of the dash like a fish jumping out of a lake. She actually jumped back thinking that it was going to leap out at _her._

Mike laughed out loud. Watching the Sarah clone get startled was just too much fun!

Deanna glared at Mike again but didn't have time to really work on it. KITT was already preparing his full dash Speedometer to glove compartment for transform and she didn't want to miss it.

KITT set the whole dash for a simultaneous transform. This was already taking much longer than he expected. They needed to get this done and move on.

Deanna thought that her eyes were going fuzzy. The shimmering became more intense but she had always been able to see what was going on under the dancing light. But every part of the dash began to get fuzzier and fuzzier in her eyes. Also, the tan color faded to a deep sliver. It was odd and she actually took a step back to rub her eyes.

Big Mistake.

She missed it all.

KITT took that moment to finish the whole dash. Everything was made just the way he liked it. And KITT instantly felt at home.

Once Deanna stepped back up to the window, KITT was already altering his seats and center console. It was a quick move that required little more than a change of color and style.

"Slow down KITT." Deanna whined as she watched him finish off the seats and move on to making the back seat reappear.

"I apologize Miss Russo. I guess I am what you would call, excited." KITT stated happily.

"No problem KITT. Just do it a tad bit slower. I am barely keeping up." She said with a grin as she watched all the carpeting and floor mats turn deep dark grey.

Mike chuckled again at the whole situation. He had never dreamed that he would see a clone of Sarah watching KITT transform. Much less, ask him to slow down so that she wouldn't miss a second of it. This was just too unbelievable.

Deanna gave Mike the evil eye again but it was more out of play than anything else. She knew that this had to be very very odd for him. So, she had to give him a little mental leeway. He was _THE MICHAEL_ after all. Then she grinned as she thought about that.

KITT was too busy to notice. This was going to be the hardest part of his interior transform. He had to bring back his back seat. His Domino Mode didn't have one so he had to absorb it. Now, he needed it back.

Carefully, KITT pushed back his trunk to make way for his back seat. The depth of the area had to be perfect. Then he decided to build it from the floor up. Like the convertible top earlier, KITT used his advanced nanobot technology to re-build his back seat. Centimeter by Centimeter. Inch by Inch. It began to take shape right before everyone's very eyes. It had to match previous measurements and specifications. So KITT was very precise with every single nanobot and where it went, what it did, and how it would fit in the vast puzzle that was his back seat.

Both Deanna and Mike were silent in awe. It was a wonderful treat beyond compare to watch something like this being formed right before their very eyes. Neither could talk and occasionally they had to make themselves breathe because they were even forgetting to do that.

Within 5 seconds, KITT had his backseat complete and in place like it was never gone. It was perfect in every way and even KITT was proud of that work. But he couldn't stop. Not just yet. He had to finish the back paneling between the back of the back seat and the rear window. A transforming car's work is never done.

It was pretty simple and KITT actually did speed up the process again. He was literally tasting the completion of himself…The transform was like right there.

The paneling was also formed out of nearly mid air and took about 3 seconds for KITT to prepare and then build. But that was the longest item left on his list. And he did it rather quickly.

Mike and Deanna still stood silent as they craned their necks to watch the back panel come to being. They were just so enamored by the whole thing that they probably wouldn't have been able to form whole sentences anyway.

KITT only had one more project left. One that was going to be so simple that he could attack it all at once. And he knew that he was going to get some guff about the speed but it was about time that this thing was done! He had to transform his door panels. That's it. YES!

Both doors began to shimmer in preparation of their transform. Just the inside of the doors.

Deanna yelped in surprise and then jumped back when her door began to dance with light. It wasn't supposed to do that!

Mike laughed and then poked at the light to see what it would feel like. He had always been curious and he was more than surprised to feel absolutely nothing. Yeah, nothing. It wasn't hard. It wasn't soft. It wasn't tingly. There was a feeling of nothing.

Before either passenger could say anything, KITT directed his nanobots to reshape and change color all at the same time.

There was a brilliant flash of light which was then followed by darkness. And KITT did that just for the fun of it. Always the showman.

Deanna covered her eyes to protect herself from the glare. But Mike squinted through it. He wanted to see what was going on. Well, it didn't work. It was so quick he missed it anyway and then had to blink rapidly to help refocus his eyes.

"KITT, that's not fair." Deanna whined.

"Sorry Miss Russo." KITT stated matter-of-factly. "I wished to put on a show. You did not like it?"

"How could I like it? I couldn't see anything?" Deanna continued to whine.

"I will consider that next time I decide to do such a thing." KITT declared emotionlessly. At this point, he really didn't care too much. Both of his passengers had had a very good presentation. A big finish was a proper way to conclude it.

"KITT! That was COOL!" Mike exclaimed. "It never gets old! Good job"

"Thank You Michael. I am glad that you enjoyed it." KITT responded a bit happier. "However, that was too slow for my liking, Michael. I don't think that I will be doing a transform that slow again for a very long time."

"That's okay KITT." Mike agreed. "Once was good enough for me too." Then Mike patted KITT on his roof as he took a stroll around the back.

"KITT, I didn't mean to sound unappreciative." Deanna defended quickly. "I loved it! It was Awesome! Thank You for showing me that. I feel special for being able to see you do that."

"You are special. And...You're Welcome." KITT added with sincere gratification.

Mike then pushed the Sarah clone aside to open his door. "Hurry up. Hop in." He excitedly encouraged.

Deanna quickly ran around KITT and jumped into her seat. Whatever was next, by all the powers that be, she wasn't going to miss it.

KITT stretched into his body like a cat that had just woken up from a warm afternoon nap. It had been hours since he had been himself. It felt good.

Deanna leaned back hard in her passenger's seat and took in a deep energy replenishing breath before she happily sighed it out. "Wow KITT," She whispered under her breath. "That was amazing."

"That?" Mike joked sarcastically. "That was nothing, huh KITT?"

KITT fired up his muscular Shelby Cobra engine. It roared to life for a couple of seconds. Then KITT let it settle down into a threatening grumble.

Mike grinned from ear to ear and then sat up to a more commanding position in KITT's driver's seat. He sat up straighter, more determined, gripped the steering wheel tighter and higher, up in the 10 and 2 position, and then he repositioned his footing so as he could have easy and faster access to both the gas and the brake pedals.

Mike's sarcastic grin then transformed instantly into a sly smile of pure evil glee. And years later, Deanna would swear to anyone that asked that his eyes turned devilish red and even tinted of an underlying fire by twinkling just so.

"KITT, how about we show the lady a little bit of what you are made of." Mike spoke through a snicker and then pressed down hard on the sensitive gas pedal.

Luckily, KITT was still in park with the Emergency Brake on or he would have leapt straight up and out of the dirt and maybe he would have landed 2 miles away. Be that as it may, his powerful engine roared as loud if not louder than a Funny Car preparing to jump off the starting point.

Mike grinned even wider and Deanna didn't even believe that Mike could even smile that big.

KITT smiled just as wide inside his CPU. Having Michael back behind his wheel and obviously feeling very good, made KITT feel just as good.

Watching the Sarah clone experience everything with a bit of awe was a bonus for KITT. So, let Michael rev his motor. It was well worth it!

Deanna was about to make a sarcastic comment about men and their fast cars when she heard the familiar phrase, "Laser Restraint System Activated."

That's when everything went crazy!

Suddenly Deanna was forcefully shoved back into her seat. But it had nothing to do with the restraint system.

Mike suddenly took off the Emergency Brake and then slammed on the gas pedal. Soft, silty sand went flying 6' up into the air behind KITT making a brown cloud of dust float across the deserted road.

Mike actually burst out laughing a deep genuine belly laugh as KITT slid around in the loose sand.

KITT only allowed that madness for a second. He didn't like to look or feel weak and flailing around in loose sand with no traction was a weakness he didn't have to endure...ever.

HIGH POWERED TRACTION SYSTEM ACTIVATED

Flashed across KITT's HUD in Giant red text.

KITT grinned madly inside his CPU as his high powered traction system kicked in and he flew out of the sand onto the sun warmed blacktop.

The very second KITT's tires touched the warm pavement, he fishtailed wildly to the left and his already super-heated tires squealed loudly in protest.

Deanna immediately grabbed the 'Sissy Bar' above her head and clenched her teeth in preparation of something absolutely terrible.

It never happened.

Mike yanked the steering wheel into the slide determinedly. And it was Amazing! He didn't overcorrect or even look like he was worried. Actually, Mike was still grinning wildly. Plus, if anyone was close enough, they would have seen his eyes turn a bit devilish red with happiness.

KITT's highly responsive traction system once again activated and that was all that was needed for him to straighten out. Now KITT had could _really_ let loose.

On the downhill, KITT's relative speed increased exponentially. 60 turned into 75 which quickly became 92. KITT finally put a limit up at 105 mph. And KITT stretched out his scanning distance to accommodate for this speed.

Deanna's intense grip on the 'Sissy Bar' tightened. Mike's wild grin widened to show his white teeth.

It felt liberating to both Mike and KITT. They had no appointments, agendas, deadlines, or crowds to deal with right now. It was just them, an open road, and a willing new passenger to enjoy it. And by the way that her eyes were bulging out of her head and her knuckles were turning white, she must have been having fun. Right?

Just when everyone thought that this fast ride couldn't get any more exciting, they came upon the tiny town for which this long drag of blacktop was named.

"Michael, we are approaching the township of Nipton." KITT warned both worriedly and sadly.

Mike's Wildman grin lightened up into a soft, more human smile as he lifted off the gas pedal. The color that had long escaped his face now returned in a full-on pink blush.

Then that's when KITT saw it. It was diagrammed by only a sketch on his map. However, there was no real, written warning about it. There should have been.

OH MY GOSH, THEY WERE GOING TOO FAST!

KITT immediately ran a whole set of options through his lightening fast processor as he quickly applied a little more pressure to his brakes.

Mike instantly knew that something was up. There was no real reason for the increased slow down effort. To Mike, other than the fact that they were entering a 'one horse town', there was no need for the extra slow down.

KITT then projected the obstacle in red on his HUD. Then he announced distantly, "There is a significant obstacle ahead."

Mike eyed the diagram of the railroad tracks with trepidation. You never knew what you were going to get when you came upon a railroad crossing. It could be flat and smoother than the road. Or it could be so tall and so rough that it could rip the whole underside of your low car right out.

Deanna stared intently at the bright red warning on the windshield. She had never seen anything like it. It was incredible! Instinctively, she reached out and touched it. The image shook under her finger and she let out a shocked 'oh' as she pulled her hand back.

Mike saw her out of the corner of his eye and grinned knowingly. It was interesting to watch a clone of Sarah learning about KITT as if she had never known him. And her curiosity over KITT was refreshing.

KITT knew instantly that the person that had just activated his HUD was not Michael. The body heat, the heart rate, the tentative touch, and even the fingerprints were absolutely nothing like his driver. The whole Biorhythm was off. It had to be the Sarah clone. So, KITT stored all that information for further research later on.

Right now, KITT had other things to ponder. Like, what was he going to do at this railroad crossing?

"How about we Turbo Boost over it?" Mike offered as if he had read KITT's mind.

"The actual railroad tracks are elevated Michael." KITT informed worriedly. "I would have to use a considerable quantity of power to clear it safely."

"Give me options then KITT." Mike asked quickly as they came closer and closer to their new nemesis.

"Your most optimal choice at this time would be to use the preceding grade to the train tracks as a launching ramp." KITT offered reluctantly. "With that, I may be able to provide a suitable landing."

"Good KITT. Let's do it." Mike agreed readily.

Deanna listened silently. This was definitely not her decision. Since she was a passenger along on this wild ride, any decision they made would pertain to her. So, finally she decided to speak up for the very first time since they had begun discussing their options. "Excuse me gentlemen. What exactly does 'use the grade as a launching ramp' and 'suitable landing' mean?"

Before either Mike or KITT could answer, KITT hit the incredibly steep and tall railroad track crossing. He quickly activated his Boosters.

Deanna yelped in exhilaration. And Mike regrew that insanely wild grin.

KITT soared through the air like an ungangly bird. His wheels were still wildly spinning and he was still rapidly gaining some air.

"Prepare for landing." KITT announced a second later. He knew from his current angle that his landing wasn't going to be as smooth as he had planned. So he redoubled his hold on Michael and Deanna through his laser restraint system.

Mike tried to lean forward in preparation of the bounce. However, it did him no good. KITT had him pinned to the seat.

Deanna considered sitting up too but decided against it in a split second. Instead, she decided to use her roller coaster theory. She made her whole body limp in her seat. This way, she would just flop around at the most but it felt like KITT had her pretty safe anyway.

KITT did his level best to try and land flat and smooth. However, his whole right-front side was dipped slightly lower than the rest of the car. This gave him an angled landing. He winced in anticipation of the stress that is body was going to take.


	23. Close Encounters

Close Encounters

KITT braced hard for impact. And sure enough, his quick calculations were not incorrect.

His passenger side wheel and fender slammed viciously into the unforgiving asphalt with a loud 'Thud'. In a miraculous save, KITT managed to stay upright and bounced roughly onto the rest of his 4 tires. What KITT hadn't calculated were the odds of a rebound. So, he was mildly surprised that the inertia from his harsh landing made his front end bounce.

KITT held tight onto his precious passengers. The very last thing that KITT wanted out of this odd vacation was to have Michael get hurt. And certainly, he didn't want to have the Sarah clone get hurt on her very first ride with him.

Deanna and Mike were not totally pinned down to their seats. They could still breathe and move their arms. So when KITT crashed back down to Earth, the air was knocked out of them. They were both perfectly safe but had to gasp suddenly for air.

However, KITT didn't fair that well from the hard and awkward landing, a connector to one of his many hard drives shook loose in his landing. And then fell off when he rebounded back down. This caused an automatic program to initiate his Emergency Shut-down Protocol.

All but KITT's essential systems flickered off one by one. And that included KITT's powerful engine and Occupant Restraint System.

KITT slowly and silently rolled to a stop about 200 yards from where he had officially landed.

Both Mike and Deanna were still a bit too stunned from KITT's harsh landing to formulate words yet. And they were still trying to catch their breath. However, that didn't stop them from sharing a shocked stare at each other. Then they simultaneously looked sadly at KITT's darkened dash.

Finally Mike found his voice and asked in a breathless whisper, "KITT?"

Deanna's shocked look instantly transformed into fear. The way the dash went dark. The way the engine suddenly cut out. The way they rolled slowly to a stop in the middle of the road. All of it just didn't make sense. And fear and adrenaline began to take her over.

"KITT!" They yelled in unison at the top of their lungs.

KITT's Voice Modulator was very dim. It barley moved if at all. Couple that with the fact that the Mustang fell deathly silent. This wasn't good...Not good at all.

"Come on KITT." Deanna whispered under her breath.

EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN PROTOCOL INITIATED

Sarah stared at the bold red letters displayed on the Big Board in shock. 'What happened?' Kept repeating over and over in her mind.

When Sarah suddenly snapped out of it, she yelled, "Zoe, what in the Hell happened? Get me a damage check! Now!"

"Dam*!" Zoë yelled from her station as a blaring claxon began to sound. "His systems are not letting me in. He is nearly totally off."

While searching for her own access to KITT, Sarah remembered their chat. She quickly ran a check to see if it was still working. To her surprise, it stayed on and was still connected.

SARAH: KITT what happened?

KITT: I landed incorrectly.

SARAH: Give me a readout of your damage.

KITT did a quick diagnostic of all of his systems. He was pretty sure that he knew what happened. However, he didn't want to jump to conclusions too quickly now. Just in case.

"KITT!" Mike begged. "Answer me! Are you alright?"

"That is what I am endeavoring to determine at this moment Michael." KITT stated very quietly, almost solemnly.

"Thank God!" Mike exclaimed in relief. "What happened? You have never shut down after a Turbo Boost like that before?"

"Sarah and I are current working toward an answer to that as we speak." KITT spoke in a distant voice. He was determined to figure this out NOW.

KITT sent Sarah the results of his full diagnostic. It confirmed KITT's guess and also confirmed that he didn't have any other damage. He sighed in relief inside his CPU.

SARAH: It says here KITT that you have a disconnected HD cable.

KITT: Affirmed.

SARAH: Is there a possibility that we can speak instead of text? I need to work faster than this.

KITT: Yes, my vocal communications system is unaffected.

"Good! Then KITT can you hear me?" Sarah asked tentatively as she stared down a representation of KITT's VOX on the Big Board.

Deanna gasped from the passenger's seat. Her eyes went wide. And she searched nervously about the cabin for the source of...HER OWN VOICE. "What in the..." She muttered absently.

"Oh Yeah." Mike interjected suddenly. "Deanna, this is Sarah." He introduced with a worried smile. "

He did have one problem. Sarah was just a voice in the darkness. So all he could do was a vocal intro with a short wave in the direction of KITT's dash.

"And Sarah," He said with affection. "This is Deanna Russo."

The cabin of the Mustang fell into a tense silence once more. Neither Sarah spoke. Each was waiting for the other to take the initiative. Add in a high level of disbelief as well as anxiety and that was what was hanging so thick in the air.

"Come on guys. We don't have time for this now." Mike coached. "We're sitting here dead in the middle of the road."

"Okay Mike." Sarah relented. "Hello Deanna. Nice to meet you.

"Oh My God!" Deanna exclaimed still wide eyed. "You...Sound...Just...Like...Me!"

The whole car fell silent again. This time, it was more of a shocked silence than anything.

Mike and KITT sighed in frustration. This was getting them absolutely nowhere and KITT needed immediate repair.

Without instruction, KITT popped open his hood and encouraged, "Michael, I need you assistance with this repair."

Mike didn't need to be asked twice. He jumped out of KITT quickly and then propped open the hood.

Instantly, Deanna tried to join him. However, her door was locked tight. She tried several times to thumb the lock open. But KITT kept it tightly closed.

"I apologize Miss Russo." KITT stated sincerely. "I cannot allow you to view my engine."

"Ha!" Deanna scoffed. "I was in the room when the CGI guys were designing it." Deanna laughed knowingly. "KITT, you don't have anything I haven't seen before."

Mike, Sarah, and Zoe all burst out laughing at Deanna's implication. Neither of them could contain it even if they had tried.

KITT didn't understand what was so funny but he didn't have time to question it anyway. Deanna was once again trying to open her door.

"I apologize again Miss Russo," KITT stated with an underlying hint of agitation in his voice. "However, the rules are the rules...And we are going by the rules."

Everyone burst out laughing again. It was fun to watch KITT be pigheaded and clueless at the same time.

Deanna crossed her arms in a pout and harrumphed loudly.

And with that, KITT chuckled silently inside his CPU.

"Okay Guys." Mike stated with command. "We need to focus here. What are we doing?"

KITT and Sarah both began to give Mike instructions simultaneously. And the thing was...Neither of them stopped. Plus, Mike couldn't understand a word either one were saying.

"I can't understand you!" Mike yelled as he threw up his hands in defeat. "ONE AT A TIME!"

As if his situation could get no more complicated...It did.

At that very moment, a San Bernardino County Sheriff's car pulled up slowly behind KITT. He then turned on his hazard lights as he came to a full stop.

The happy smirk Mike was wearing suddenly disappeared. He was both annoyed and disappointed as he slammed closed KITT's hood. "Hang on KITT." He muttered softly under his breath.

"What's going on KITT?" Sarah asked worriedly.

"The police are here." Deanna replied offhand as she twisted in her seat to get a better view of the car behind them.

"The Fuzz." Zoe whispered with a laugh.

Sarah shot her a wary glare and then turned back to KITT's Voice Modulator on the Big Board. "Miss Russo, please act natural. Mike knows how to handle this."

Deanna gave KITT's dash a questioning look. "Ummm...Why would I act anything other than natural?"

Sarah's eyebrows knit together in annoyance. "Whatever! Just stay put!" She ordered a little too firmly.

"And where do you think I was going to go, huh?" Deanna shot back. "KITT has me locked in here tighter than Fort Knox."

Sarah was about to shoot another snide remark at her look-alike when suddenly her hard look softened into a light smile. "Yeah huh?" She agreed softly. "Just hold tight for us, okay?"

Zoe gave Sarah a shocked and had to ask, "What just happened?"

"What?" Sarah asked innocently.

"What do you mean what?" Zoe grinned. "You were about to bite that girl's head off and hand it back to her with holes in it. So what happened?"

"I just realized something." Sarah stated nonchalantly. "I realized that I was arguing with myself. And that made my next argument utterly pointless."

At that, Zoe and Sarah shared a knowing laugh.

A sandy blonde male in his 30's stepped gingerly out of his Sheriff's vehicle. His deep black uniform matched perfectly with his blacked out sunglasses. He stood a good 6'2" tall and gave Mike a cool, relaxed grin.

Mike stepped out warily from in front of KITT and gave the oncoming officer an appraising look. Was this going to be a friendly chance encounter? Or, was there going to be more to it than that?

The tall, lanky Sheriff's deputy sauntered slowly towards Mike. He was in no rush. The whole time he strolled, he never took his eyes off of the darkly tinted Mustang GT500KR.

Mike decided to meet him halfway. "Morning Officer," He greeted with the same cool grin the officer was currently giving him.

"Morning Son." The Sheriff's officer offered back easily as he continued to study KITT. "Nice Ride."

"Thanks" Mike cautiously agreed.

The calm Sheriff's officer then turned his full attention toward Mike. "So, tell me son," He questioned lightly as he whipped off his sunglasses to reveal a pair of crystal clear dark blue eyes. "Why is it that such an expensive 'Hot Doggin' car is out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Working on repairs." Mike replied quickly as he closed the distance between them.

"I see…" The officer spoke slowly as he scrutinized the young man before him. "Do you want me to call a tow truck for you?"

Mike never broke eye contact with the diligent officer. He didn't want to show a weakness or an aptitude for lying.

"Nah, I got it." Mike replied smoothly. "You know these Mustangs. Been There-Done This before." He grinned.

"Yeah, tell me about it." The officer agreed readily. Mike could also tell that he looked a lot more relaxed. Then suddenly he took a couple steps passed Mike and offered, "How about you pop the hood and I'll help you out?"

"NOOOOO!" KITT yelled inside the car only.

Mike stayed cool and just slightly shook his head. "Nah, I think she's fine. She probably just needs to take a few to cool off." He reasoned easily.

"Okay," The officer reluctantly gave in. "But we need to move it out of the road. Public Safety you know."

"What an indignity." KITT whined. "Do I have to be pushed into the sand?"

Deanna tried but failed to muffle a chuckle into her hand.

"Shhh. KITT." Sarah warned.

"Okay, now how are we gonna do this?" The tall Sheriff asked curiously.

"How about you and I push while my friend steers?" Mike offered hopefully.

The Sheriff's officer stiffened and then took a few steps back. "Friend?" He asked cautiously.

"Yeah, she can steer while we push." Mike offered as friendly and unassuming as he could. He had seen the surprised look and defensive posturing. And seeing as he was once a soldier, he knew what this could lead to.

"Miss Russo, I need you to step outside and change seats." KITT stated more than asked.

"Why?" She asked curiously as she tried to get a glimpse of Mike and the cop. "What's up?"

KITT groaned out loud and then whined, "Because I am apparently about to be pushed."

"Ohhhh." Deanna replied while trying not to smile. She would have never dreamed that she would be riding in a sentient KITT who would have ultimately needed to be pushed. OMG! This had to be a dream. There is no way that this could be real.

Deanna daintily stepped out of KITT and gave the scrutinizing officer a friendly wave. "Hi." She greeted sweetly as she made her way around KITT.

"Hi." The officer replied tightly as he gave a forced smile.

"Do you have anymore hidden passengers in there?" The officer asked cautiously as he edged closer to his cruiser.

"No, she and I were just out here for a drive away from the crowds of Vegas." Mike replied truthfully. Then he opened his driver's door for Deanna.

The officer took a quick glance inside before he stepped back and allowed the young lady to climb inside.

Deanna gracefully stepped into KITT's driver's seat. She had been in a facsimile of KITT's driver's seat not long ago. But this was the REAL KITT's driver's seat. This was a whole new experience. She shivered for a second with uncontrollable awe.

KITT felt Deanna's shiver and worried. "Miss Russo, are you cold?"

"Shhh KITT," She whispered with her eyes wide in fear. "You don't want him to suspect." She trailed off as she worriedly checked over her shoulder. 'Had he heard?'

Luckily, Mike had already directed the officer toward the back of KITT. So, neither one had heard him.

"Okay Deanna, put it in Neutral!" Mike yelled from his pushing position behind KITT.

Deanna half expected KITT to do it for her. When he didn't, she inspected the darkened dash closely. Where's the key? Where's the stick or the shifter lever? How in the world was she supposed to put him in Neutral?

"Deanna, look for the stick on the console next to you." Sarah advised as if she had read Deanna's mind. "Pull it out of gear and then shake it for good measure. If it is loose, you are in Neutral."

Deanna did as told and then yelled, "Okay!" out her door.

Suddenly KITT started rolling backwards.

Mike yelled a swear word. The officer jumped away. And in sheer panic, Deanna slammed on the brake.

The whole desert fell silent for a second.

"Mike! Mike! Are you okay?!" Deanna yelled from the driver's seat. She dared not get out to check. Her foot was the only thing preventing disaster.

"Yeah! I'm Fine!" Mike yelled back at Deanna.

"How about you?" Mike asked the visibly stunned officer. "Are you alright?"

The Sheriff's deputy stood only a couple feet away cautiously watching the black Mustang GT500KR for any signs of movement. "Yeah, I'm good." He finally answered. "But now we have a new problem."

"No, this is perfect!" Mike announced excitedly. "Jump into your cruiser and back up about 10-15 feet. Then we can let her roll backward onto the shoulder."

"Not a bad idea." The tall officer agreed with a nod. "Be right back."

Mike poked his head inside the driver's door and gave Sarah a run down of their situation and their new plan.

"Sounds good to me but be careful. I don't want to hear about you in a Las Vegas jail. Got me?" Sarah joked.

Mike nodded with a grin.

"So then you're not kicking me out of the driver's seat?" Deanna asked hopefully. "Even after I nearly ran you over in your own talking car?"

Mike gave her a cool toothy grin. "Well, you can stay. Just be careful with him. He's a one of a kind and he's kinda sensitive."

"I'm not-" KITT began to defend his honor but stopped when he noticed the officer quickly approaching.

Mike stepped back a couple of steps and lazily closed the door. But not before adding, "Remember...You break it. You bought it."

The officer broke into a smile as he joined Mike off to the side. "So..." He asked conversationally. "That must be your baby."

"Well," Mike began. How was he going to explain this? "She is...But she isn't."

"Huh?" The lanky deputy questioned while not taking his eyes off of the expensive muscle car.

"I share custody of her." Mike reluctantly offered. "Today is my day to take her out for a walk."

"And then _this_ happens?" The officer continued as smoothly as possible. "Who else owns it? Maybe they ought to come out here and help you with it."

Deanna let the Emergency brake off nice and slow. She wasn't going to let KITT get away from her again. And sure enough he began to roll backward.

Mike looked away from his rolling KITT to give the officer a suspicious look. Why the Q &A? What was this guy after?

"Nah, I got it." Mike concluded in hopes that this would end the impromptu interview. "We should be outta here in about 10 minutes."

The Sheriff's Deputy turned for a second toward Mike and handed him a card. "If you are sure that I can't help you, at least take my card. Just in case something happens or you change your mind."

Deanna stepped out of the properly parked KITT to see the officer hand Mike his card. She noticed but decided that it wasn't her business. So, she just grinned pleasantly at them both and waited.

Mike read the card:

Deputy Allen Paul Murphy

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

Emergency Contact- Dial 911

For General info- Dial 555-121-1256

"Cool, thanks for the card Officer Murphy." Mike pretended to be grateful. Hopefully it worked, "I don't think that I am going to need it though. But thanks just the same."

Deanna leaned up against KITT's side and just continued to grin at both of them. If she was needed, Mike would call her over.

With a short wave, the officer known as Murphy headed back to his cruiser. And just like that, he took off.

"Finally!" Mike sighed with relief. "Now we can finally get this finished. KITT, pop the hood."

Deanna got all excited and headed for the front of KITT. She was going to watch a real repair of a real KITT in action.

"I'm sorry Michael," KITT stated firmly. "I can't do that."

"What?!" Mike asked worriedly. "We had it open before...What happened?"

"I still cannot allow Miss Russo a view of my engine." KITT stated with an accusatory flare. "Once she is safely back inside my cabin, we may proceed."

Deanna crossed her arms in defiance. She gave a low huff and then glared harshly at hid dual scanner. "I'm not moving. So unless you want to stay broken forever, you had better open up."

"No!" KITT stated firmly.

Now, it was a staring contest. A battle of wills. Deanna was adamantly unmoving. KITT was strongly defiant.

"No!" KITT restated after a couple of seconds of silence.

Mike began to chuckle from his spot in front of KITT. It was simply hilarious. And this was the second time.

"Okay...Okay, you guys." Mike refereed with a massive grin. "We really do need to get this done."

"I agree." KITT replied with gusto. "If she would get inside, we may proceed."

"Argh!" Deanna grunted loudly. "Fine KITT! I'll get inside! But you owe me MISTER!"

"I do-" KITT began but was cut off by Mike.

"Shhhh KITT..." Mike interrupted. "She's getting inside. What more do you want?"

"I wanted to inform her of the fact that I do-" KITT began.

"Drop it KITT." Mike cut him off again. "Just let it go, trust me."

Deanna cleverly held back her knowing laugh. Mike was right, you know?

As soon as Deanna closed the door, KITT popped open his hood. "Okay Michael, let's do this quick."

"Kind of in a rush there, KITT?" Mike joked. "Got a hot date or something?"

"No, but you do." KITT retorted quickly with a snide smile inside his CPU.

"Oh Snap!" Mike laughed.

With KITT's instruction, Mike was able to complete the repair and have KITT back together in 15 minutes flat.

"How's that KITT?" Mike asked hopefully as he took a couple steps back away from KITT.

KITT immediately powered down completely. Everything turned off, his scanner, his globe-like VOX and his chat window with Sarah. He was in total shut down.

Mike watched KITT's scanner shut off and knew instantly what was up. KITT had to fully re-initiate to clear the error from his system. However, Mike was still apprehensive about the whole thing. He wasn't KITT's technical assistant. So now all he could do was wait.

Deanna was just as worried as Mike. She hadn't expected KITT to turn off like that while she was still inside. And when the only ambient light in the cabin shut off suddenly drowning her in darkness, she gasped in fear and then wrapped her arms around herself. "KITT?" She whispered fearfully into the darkness.

KITT stayed fully powered off for approximately 30 seconds. That was the requirement KITT had for everything to come to a full stop and cool down.

Mike slammed the hood closed when he noticed the driver's side door popped open. He knew that he had nothing to fear form Deanna. But KITT was pretty adamant about her not seeing his inner workings. So, he would respect KITT's wishes and close up. It was for the best.

Deanna blinked rapidly as she stepped out into the bright afternoon sun. 'Wow, it's bright out here.' She commented to herself as she trailed her hand along KITT's hood as she walked slowly toward Mike.

"Give him a minute." Mike commented affectionately. "He has to reboot to accept the changes,"

"Ahhhh," Deanna replied in comprehension. "Now that makes sense."

Suddenly the words: **KNIGHT INDUSTRIES THREE THOUSAND- SERIAL # GAMMA BETTA 7-1-4-3-8**, resounded clearly from KITT in his own voice. However, it was spoken in an emotionless drone. He went on to say, "I am the property of Knight Industries..."

Deanna and Mike stood silently listening to KITT activation sequence when suddenly he fell silent. They both took a step closer to him. They were both anxiously curious about what he was going to say and do next.

Meanwhile, back at the secret Satellite Surveillance Center, Sarah was in a full blown panic. KITT had also not informed her about his intention to reboot. Now, she stood there shockingly staring at the Big Board. That would have been relatively normal had the Big Board been displaying anything other than static with the words: NO SIGNAL in capital red letters in the top right-hand corner.

"Zoe, get KITT back!" Sarah barked as her own hands rapidly danced over her own touch sensitive workstation.

"Aye Aye Boss." Zoe joked as she worked.

KITT's reddish scanner slowly swooshed back on a few seconds later. It wasn't fast by any way, shape, or form. And it swooshed in one long line from left to right continuously. It kind of mimicked the Knight 2000's style of motion, except it flowed in only one direction, left to right.

Deanna nudged Mike in the arm and whispered, "Is he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Mike replied just as softly. "Yeah, he's gonna be good as new in minutes."

**INITIALIZING SYSTEM...PLEASE STANDBY...**

Suddenly replaced the static on the Big Board.

Sarah sighed in relief. "Thank the Lord." She commented happily under her breath.

"I second that." Zoe commented with a grin.

Just then, Billy dashed back into the main room yelling, "OMG! What is the emergency?"

"A little too late Speedy Gonzalez." Zoe joked as she pointed at the Big Board. "Crisis Averted."

"Billy, take over my workstation and search for a visual of KITT." Sarah ordered as she side stepped away. "I want to see for myself that he is okay."

**FULL SYSTEM RESTORATION IN...5 ...4 ...3 ...2 ...1**

KITT's scanner suddenly shut off again. And before Mike and Deanna could comment, KITT announced, "Michael, please standby while I run a full system diagnostic."

Mike nodded and then headed back for his door. "Jump in Deanna. We are about to roll." He yelled excitedly.

All of KITT's vital statistics and such reappeared on the Big Board. It was like he wasn't even gone.

"Got it!" Billy yelled as a fuzzy visual of the golden desert floor filled most of the Big Board. It was an extremely wide shot that showed noting but a tiny black smudge among the gold.

"Focus Billy!" Sarah ordered to her left. "I can't see anything."

"Hold on." Billy murmured softly. "This is an antique location sat. It is having a hard time accepting my commands."

"You just have to know how to talk to it." Zoe joked as she stood up and leaned over Billy's shoulder. She began to punch in all sorts of scattered codes. "She just needs to be shown some love. Watch this."

Suddenly the fuzzy image sharpened up clearly and then zoomed in on KITT. It was in perfect clarity. You couldn't have a better view even if you had tried HD.

Zoe stood up straight and grinned from ear to ear. "HA!" She teased. "The boy genius has been foiled again."

Billy wrinkled his nose in frustration. "Lucky." He whispered under his breath.

"That wasn't luck." She announced in full sarcasm. Zoe waved with a flourish to the magnificent image and continued, "That, my dear friend is talent."

Billy harrumphed silently in his seat.

"Okay guys," Sarah interrupted in a commanding tone. "Focus here."

The massive Big Board zoomed-in in time just to see Mike and the Deanna woman jump into KITT.

Sarah leaned in close to catch a glimpse of her clone. "Dam*." She muttered as the other woman disappeared inside KITT. All she ended up seeing was a tuft of auburn hair as the clone ducked inside KITT.

Zoe and Billy both glanced over at each other and then shrugged knowingly. Billy's eyes looked sympathetic as he mouthed, 'What do we do now?'

Right at that moment, the beautiful desert scene on the Big Board disappeared. It wasn't even replaced by anything. The board only showed KITT's vitals on the side panels and scrolling across the bottom.

"What just happened?' Sarah asked as she peeked over Zoe's shoulder.

"We not only lost the signal." Billy announced in frustration. "We lost the whole satellite."

"How?" She asked Billy as she hovered over his station.

"It seems that KITT has somehow gained access to it and locked it down." Zoe assessed in amazement. "It's coded with a 23 character password."

"What the-?" Billy exclaimed as he tried a couple of tricks to crack the code.

Just then, a message began scrolling across the Big Board in bold uppercase blue text.

**PLEASE EXCUSE MY ABRUPT ACTIONS. MICHAEL AND I ARE ON VACATION. WE DO NOT WISH TO BE OBSERVED. THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING OUR WISHES.**

"Well I never-" Sarah commented more to herself than to anyone else.

"Thank You Michael." KITT spoke with gratitude. "You have adequately repaired me."

"No problem KITT." Mike answered anxiously. "How about we start where we left off?"

"Sounds like fun." KITT replied with a wide smile in his voice.

KITT started his engine hard. It growled out a howl like a lone wolf in the Yellowstone National park, which was absolutely terrifying to a newcomer into KITT's world. He could feel all of Deanna's muscles tense up in anticipation.

Mike's grin echoed Deanna's muscles. It was tense and anticipatory as he slowly pulled out of the soft sand bank on the shoulder. KITT had already played in the sand once. Now it was time to try something different.

Then suddenly Mike was struck with a brilliant idea. This would so totally make Deanna's day. He stopped KITT in the middle of the road again and then turned to Deanna, "Would you mind taking over for a bit?"

Deanna's eyes got as big as dinner plates. "NO WAY?!"

"Way." Mike replied with an inviting grin. "That is, if KITT is okay with it. Are you okay with it KITT?"

KITT silently considered it for a few seconds. He had some decisions to make before he could allow a virtual stranger take over his helm. "Okay, but only under a couple of conditions."

"And that would be?" Mike asked curiously.

"She has no command over me. And, you override both of our authorities." KITT stated with finality.

"I would expect nothing else KITT." Mike agreed with a nod. "Now may I change seats with Deanna?"

"Yes, you may." KITT reluctantly allowed. He still wasn't too thrilled with the idea.

"Oh My Gosh!" Deanna yelled as she jumped out of the car. "Oh My Gosh! Oh My Gosh! Oh My Gosh!"

Mike grinned happily and then patted KITT's dash. "Good Job KITT." He said affectionately. "Thank you for doing this."

"It's my pleasure." KITT replied just as sweetly.

Mike stepped out just as Deanna walked up. He held the door open for her as she slowly sat down. He loved to see her awestruck look as she placed herself in _his_ seat.

It is true. Deanna had just been in his pilot's seat only minutes ago. However, this was vastly different. KITT was shut off for the most part while she was there. Now, the whole dash was lit up like a ride simulator at Six Flags Magic Mountain. She half expected it to feel like that too. After all, that was what it was like on the show.

Mike dashed around the back of KITT and hopped into the passenger's seat. Immediately, he felt awkward…off. This seat was identical to that one but…Everything was just off.

He felt like he should be doing something. Where was the steering wheel? Where were the pedals? What in the world was he supposed to do? Just sit there?

Deanna gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning a pale white. She was as nervous as a cat trapped in a dog kennel. This was KITT. _The KITT_. So of course she had a reason to be out of breath.

Slightly, she pressed down on his sensitive gas pedal. She wanted to start this out nice and slow. Once she had a feel for him, then maybe…maybe…she would do a few stunts.

"Well guys," Sarah relented. "It looks like we are going to be in the dark on this one. From what I can tell, everything is fine with KITT. So go ahead and take a break. I'll call you if I need you."

"Okay." Billy agreed quickly. He had just gotten to level 22 on the new Super Mario Bros. game. And he still had to catch up to Zoe.

In an instant, he was gone.

Zoë stood up a bit slower and cautiously gave Sarah a hug. "Honey don't worry." Zoe encouraged as they separated. "He is a good guy."

"Yeah." Sarah agreed tentatively. "Now hurry up and defend your title before Billy gets bragging rights. I don't think I can take another moment like the last time he defeated us."

Zoe chuckled softly and then yelled, "Watch out twerp! I am about to hand you your butt on a silver platter!"

Sarah flopped back down in Zoe's overstuffed office chair. She looked distantly at the blacked out Big Board and whispered, "I hope you know what you are doing." Within about 10 minutes, she was sound asleep.

Deanna started out painstakingly slow. If Mike was reading the readout correctly from his position to the far right, KITT was flying down Nipton Rd at a blistering 20mph. Mike groaned and rolled his eyes.

Deanna turned a 'Back Off' look on him. "Don't Start." She warned softly. "This is not my Grandmother's Chevy. I need to get a feel for him before something bad happens."

"But...20mph???" He loudly groused as he flopped back in his seat like a small child throwing a fit.

"If you don't stop that _young man_," Deanna joked sarcastically. "I swear that I am going to pull over right here and-"

"You wouldn't dare." Mike cut in while laughing so hard his eyes were closed.

Deanna turned a stink eye on him of which she instantly softened into a grin. "Of course I couldn't do it." She began in an oversweet tone that was laced with a deadly warning. "However, I can ask KITT to help change the subject."

That was all the 2 of them needed to burst out into full belly laughs. Neither one was really catching their breath before they started laughing again.

"Was that an order?" KITT asked in as straight a monotone voice as he could muster. All the while, he was trying his hardest to suppress his own laughter.

Both Mike and Deanna's laughing smiles instantly turned to mortified frowns of shock as they yelled in unison, "NO!"

That was it. There was no holding back now. KITT laughed so hard inside his CPU, that to this day both Mike and Deanna swear they felt KITT shudder.

Deanna picked up her speed a little. She did it just to quiet Mike's grumbling. However when I say a little, I mean a little. Now she was blazing down the deserted road at 40 mph.

It was lucky that Deanna was only traveling down the road at 40 mph. KITT was approaching a few tight curves that Deanna was largely unprepared for. Her brown eyes grew large and her grip on the steering wheel grew tighter.

She let up off the gas pedal as KITT rounded the first curve. She wasn't taking any chances even though she was driving KITT, _THE KITT_.

He took the slow curve very easily if not too easily. There wasn't a need to take it this slow and Deanna seemed to feel it. She hit the accelerator just a tad and took the next curve at about 48 mph.

KITT felt like he was being driven by a nearsighted old man that needed a cane. 48 mph? Come On!

Deanna seemed to hear KITT's silent ranting. She suddenly discovered KITT's gas pedal and accelerated a bit more into the next tight curve. This time, he took it at a brisk 54 mph.

Mike even noticed Deanna's sudden confidence in KITT. He saw her relaxing her grip and almost grinning as she powered into the last curve at 65 mph.

"Very good Miss Russo." KITT complimented as they straightened out into a long stretch of road.

"Why thank you KITT." Deanna grinned as she kept up her sudden interest in speed. They went from 65 to 77 to 91 in a matter of seconds. "Wow KITT!" She exclaimed with glee. "This is exhilarating!"

KITT topped her off at 95 mph. He didn't want to worry about the dangers of flying down the road with a new driver. Yeah, he had the control. He just hated to have to override anyone. It seemed rude.

After about 5 minutes of nothing but pure speeding fun, KITT slowed it down. "I need to inform you." He announced reluctantly. "We are coming up on the township of Searchlight. We have to slow down and take it easy now."

"Take it easy?" Mike laughed.

"Isn't that the correct wording Michael?" KITT asked perplexed.

"Yeah KITT," Mike agreed with a grin. "I've just never heard you say that."

KITT was about to come up with another witty retort when they came up on a small trailer park and the road ahead of them came to an end.

"KITT, can we U-Turn?" Deanna asked hopefully. She hated to have her joyride come to such an abrupt end.

"I don't see why not." KITT replied with a grin. Good, Deanna was feeling so much more comfortable. KITT liked her. He was glad to see that she liked him.

Deanna hooked a quick Uee before they got to the Stop sign at the end of the road. There wasn't much room there but they both, her and KITT, handled it like real professionals.

Mike leaned the seat back and relaxed. He didn't figure that Deanna was going to go so wild that he needed to be in stiff preparation for anything. KITT was a competent co-pilot. So he kind of felt like a third wheel. So maybe it was naptime after all.

"KITT?" Deanna asked quietly. "Do you have any music?"

"Does a cat have fur? Does a house have doors? Do you need air to breathe?" KITT joked. "Yes of course I have music. I have a vast playlist of every genre known and unknown to man. What would you like to listen to?"

Mike perked up at the idea of listening to some tunage. Maybe this ride wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Do you have American Woman by Queen?" Deanna asked hopefully.

"Yes I do have that song. Very nice choice." KITT agreed instantly. He set it to play but then he realized that he wasn't quite sure how loud she wanted to hear it. "At what decibel level would you prefer to listen to it?"

"I don't care. Just make it loud KITT." Deanna said excitedly as she slammed down on the gas pedal.

Deanna rocked out happily as she sped down the road with KITT. This had to be a dream. There was no way in the world that this was happening. But she didn't care. She would never ever forget it!

Just as the song was getting into full swing, Deanna suddenly slowed down. "Ummm KITT..." She began.

KITT muted the song and asked worriedly, "Deanna is everything okay?"

"This is great KITT! I love it." Deanna reassured. "I just want to know if I can try a few things out."

"Like what?"

"I want to know." Deanna began slowly. "Is it possible to try out a few of your special features?"

"Like I said," KITT restated worriedly. Whenever Michael asked the same question twice KITT knew that whatever was next could not be easy or good. "What do you wish to do?"

"At this moment," Deanna asked as she slowed KITT to a full stop. "I would love to try out Ski Mode."

Mike smiled happily from his vantage point. However, he stayed silent. He wanted to know how KITT was going to handle this. Would he seek out Mike's opinion or would he choose to make the decision of his own accord?

"I will allow you to use my Ski Mode." KITT replied slowly. "However, you have to heed to my every command during it. Agreed?"

"You will help me with it?" Deanna asked hopefully. "Yeah, that sounds perfect!"

Mike sat up a little more upright and prepared for the inevitable. He had only adventured a try with Ski Mode once. And it was out of necessity. This open use of KITT's talent was going to much more fun. Now he was beginning to feel jealous of Deanna.

Deanna accelerated the Mustang GT500KR to 15 mph and then ordered, "Initiate Ski Mode KITT!"

Instantly, KITT popped up his passenger side into the air.

"Whoa!" Mike yelled as he grabbed on to the sissy bar for leverage.

Deanna laughed maniacally as she tried her level best to keep KITT going straight ahead and not weaving or bobbing about. "Oh My Gosh KITT! This is AWESOME!"

Ten seconds later, KITT let his passenger side come crashing back down to the asphalt. He was still gentle enough to not jar Michael though.

Deanna pulled KITT over to the side and climbed out. "Oh My Gosh!" She ranted to the warm March sun. "That was AWESOME!"

"Michael, why did she get out?" KITT asked in confusion.

Mike stepped out slowly and saw Deanna pacing back and forth in front of KITT mumbling happily to herself. "Umm...Deanna are you okay?"

"Yeah!" She screamed back happily. "I just needed to get out of that cramped up seat. That was great! Awesome! Wonderful! Oh my Gosh!"

"Well...." Mike asked knowingly. He was like this when he had driven his first muscle car. "Would you like to get inside and keep on going?"

"Hold on." Deanna replied happily. "I have this amazing adrenaline rush that I need to wear off for a second."

"Okay, well jump back in as soon as you are ready." Mike replied as he slid back into the passenger seat.

Mike and KITT watched Deanna pace and shake her head in happiness. Her reaction to the stunt was just plain odd but funny.

"Michael, is she going to be alright?" KITT asked worriedly.

"Yeah KITT. She just needs to vent off some of that sudden energy." Mike replied smoothly as he leaned back to relax. "By the way, thank you for doing that. She will never forget it."

"No problem Michael." KITT replied happily. "It was my pleasure."

"Okay." Deanna breathed as she sat back down in the driver's seat. "I think that I'm ready to continue now."

"Are you sure?" Mike joked.

Deanna gave him a snide look and slowly accelerated KITT down the road. She needed to get back into the swing.

She was just getting back up to 80 mph when she came up on the curves again. "Okay KITT, I will be good she whispered as she slowed the powerful Mustang down to 55mph.

They rounded all the curves easily and smoothly. It was like nothing to Mike and KITT. A walk in the park. Very very relaxing.

KITT wondered idly if Deanna was done being a stunt driver. He wondered if they were just going to head back to Vegas nice and easy. He wondered if maybe the Ski Mode stunt was a bit too much for the Sarah clone to handle.

As soon as KITT rounded the last curve and laid out into the straight away, Deanna asked, "KITT, you still have my song loaded up?"

"Yeah..." He answered hopefully.

"Good. Turn it up!" Deanna excitedly ordered. "It's about to get crazy up in here."

_American Woman, stay away from me..._

_American Woman, momma let me beeee..._

KITT nearly maxed out his speakers for Miss Russo as he replayed the song for her.

Deanna slammed on the gas pedal as she sang as loud as she could to the lyrics. She had modeled to this song a many of times and this song just fit her perfectly.

KITT had to once again put a cap on Deanna's speed. He loved that she was feeling more comfortable with him but he didn't want to regret giving her too much freedom.

Then he suddenly remembered...THE RAILROAD TRACKS!

KITT began slowing Deanna down in preparation to cross the tracks. He didn't want an incident like last time. That was more of an embarrassment than he had ever wanted to have in his life.

"KITT, why are we slowing down?" Deanna asked dejectedly as she kept pressing the gas pedal to no avail.

"We are once again approaching Nipton, Ca." KITT stated with authority. "We are not going to have any problems with that railroad crossing again."

"KITT, may I ask you another favor?" Deanna tried. "Could we Turbo Boost over the railroad tracks?"

KITT would never forget his last experience flying over the tracks. "I would prefer not to Miss Russo."

"Please KITT?" She begged.

"I do not feel comfortable horse playing with those tracks again." KITT stated somberly. "Let's just take them nice and slow. Just like they are supposed to be handled."

Mike sat up curiously and asked, "KITT, what are the risks of you Turbo Boosting over the tracks?"

"Risks?" KITT asked perplexed at why Michael was suddenly getting involved. "Did you not just have to do repairs to me? Risks?"

"Okay...Okay KITT." Mike acquiesced. "But that was because we initiated the Boost after hitting the upgrade to the tracks. What would happen if we just boosted over the whole thing?"

KITT considered the idea for a moment. "We would need proper speed to achieve the proper height." KITT offered.

"YES!" Deanna called in glee. "Does that mean we will get to...?"

"Wait a second." KITT halted her. "I haven't agreed yet. I am just calculating the possibility.

"_PleasePleasePleasePlease_?" Deanna begged relentlessly.

Mike chuckled to himself from his vantage point. He had never seen anyone beg KITT to do anything like this before. It was just too funny. Would KITT relent? Would he stand his ground? Would he beg Mike for help?

"After much consideration," KITT announced with an air of refinery. "I have come to the conclusion that a Turbo Boost is feasible."

"YEY! OH MY GOSH! COOL!" Deanna yelped in happiness.

"Softy." Mike whispered under his breath just enough for KITT to hear.

KITT laughed inside his CPU at that but didn't spend much more time on it. He needed to calculate his Turbo Boost perfectly.

"Miss Russo, I need you to accelerate to 76 mph." KITT ordered smoothly as he took command of this stunt. "Also, you must keep my steering wheel as straight and stable as possible. As soon as the Turbo Boost text on my HUD flashes, you must touch it, understood?"

"Yes KITT." Deanna agreed studiously. "Anything else?"

"No, I will handle any anomalies if they should occur." KITT said responsibly. "Prepare to touch the button."

Deanna warily eyed the large blue TURBO BOOST text. It still stayed on steady. No flashing yet.

The agile Mustang flew up to the elevated railroad tracks at 76 mph. Within 10 feet of KITT's nemesis, he flashed the Turbo Boost text and ordered firmly, "NOW!"

Just as Deanna reached out and activated the Turbo Boost, KITT was suddenly slammed with a radar beam. He startled at the implication but somehow kept his focus and leaped up into the air like an oversized bird. He soared easily over the rusty metal rails, clearing them by a good 3 feet.

"!" Deanna screamed at the top of her lungs as she flew through the air while inside a car.

Mike even found himself wanting to scream in delight. It had to be contagious or something.

KITT slammed back to the asphalt a good 20 yards distance from the tracks. His Occupant Restraint System taking most of the punishment off of Mike and Miss Russo. They both barely jarred if at all.

The unmistakable sound of a police siren wailed annoyingly behind them. Deanna didn't even have time to scream out a compliment or even let off that adrenaline before her happiness transformed into fear.

"Oh My Gosh!" She fearfully yelled as she checked over her shoulder. "The cops!"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, Deputy Allen Paul Murphy to be exact." KITT stated knowingly.

Mike peeked over his shoulder and then looked at KITT's VOX. "Are you sure KITT?"

"Are you questioning my talents?" KITT asked sarcastically. He needed to break up the sudden tension in the air.

Mike smiled, "Why no KITT. I wasn't. What are our options?"

"That is an old Crown Victoria police unit." KITT deduced like Sherlock Holmes. "It has seen better days Michael. I can easily Microjam it and outrun it."

"Well KITT, I don't want him stranded out here in the middle of the desert." Mike concluded. "Can we outrun it without the Microjam?"

Deanna just held on to the steering wheel while Mike and KITT weighed their options. She wasn't the talent behind their awesome team. Whatever they decided, it was going to be best for them all. But should she still be driving?

"Yes, we can outrun him without the Microjam but he will not be easily outmaneuvered." KITT surmised.

"That's okay." Mike stated more relaxed. "I have an idea. Keep up the chase KITT. Get on the freeway. And I will instruct you from there."

"What about me?" Deanna asked worriedly. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Help KITT stay on the road and stay ahead of that San Bernardino County Sheriff." Mike instructed as he leaned back in his seat.

Deanna's knuckles once again turned white and her skin flushed as she anxiously eluded their wily pursuer. She didn't sign up for this!

Within a few minutes KITT got on the freeway heading back toward Las Vegas. The traffic was much heavier so he had a bit more trouble trying to shake off the cop. He bobbed and weaved very easily in the traffic though. And he had no fear in using the breakdown lane as a passing lane. KITT lived for this kind of action and now he was feeling exhilaration.

"Get off at Buffalo Bills Casino KITT." Mike suddenly spoke up. "Then go around back."

"Got it." Deanna agreed as they slowed down on the off ramp.

They ran the signal light at the end of the ramp and the other one heading toward the back of the casino. They weren't going too fast as they came up around back but they all slammed forward when Mike yelled, "STOP!"

"Get Out!" Mike ordered Deanna as he dashed behind KITT to the Driver's side. "We need to do this quick!"

Deanna fell out of the door and ran around the front just as Mike hopped in. Once she was inside, she heard Mike say, "Do it quick KITT!"

Deanna slammed her door and expected KITT to burn rubber and peel out of the parking lot and back onto the freeway. Instead, they sat there for a second. She wondered why they were wasting so much precious time. She could hear the siren of the police cruiser getting louder as he was quickly approaching.

Suddenly, the expensive Mustang GT500KR began to change all around her. "OH MY!" She exclaimed as everything happened in a split second. She didn't even have time to register what was really going on before it all came to a silent standstill.

At that very second, the wailing police cruiser rounded the corner at breakneck speed and flew past them. Deanna's heart was beating so fast she thought that it was going to poke a hole in her chest any second now.

"Assessment KITT?" Mike finally broke the silence.

"Transformation Complete and danger averted." KITT announced quietly.

"Let's get out of here." Mike stated authoritatively.

That's when a 1969 VW Bus pulled out of the back parking lot at Buffalo Bills. KITT was complete with Peace Signs, rainbows, the 2 finger salute, a tie dye paint job, and a bumper sticker that read, Make Love Not War.

Deanna couldn't help but bust up laughing as they chugged back onto the freeway at 45 mph. KITT even went to the trouble to make sure that he acted just like the real thing.

KITT sputtered and chugged in the Slow Lane. It was so bad that he had to put on his little flashers. Big Rigs passed him honking loudly in anger.

At that moment, they were bullied off of the freeway by 4 police cars flying down the freeway with their sirens on in chase of a phantom. Like they weren't already going slow and fighting to propel forward, now they were being crowded out by everyone on the freeway scooting out of the way of the wailing police cars.

"Brilliant!" Deanna exclaimed as she reached out and turned the realistic AM dial on the dash.

"My question is," Mike asked as he fought the massive circular steering wheel. "What possessed you to choose this as you new form?"

"Well," KITT deduced. "We needed a little something to lighten the tension and hate in the air. This type of vehicle was and is known to come from an era when everyone vied for peace. It just seemed right."

"Ummm KITT," Mike laughed. "I had no idea that you were a Hippie at heart."

At that moment a car full of 20 year olds pulled up next to KITT and waved. "YEAH!" They screamed out their windows as they gave the peace sign. Then they sped off.

Mike and Deanna both laughed raucously as KITT slowly made his way back to the busy streets of Las Vegas.

A/N: Thank you everyone that has been reading this wonderful story! You all keep me wanting to continue this _little_ baby on…

I apologize for the length of time between chapters…It has to do with many things. However, if you haven't noticed the sheer size of each chapter has also tripled as well. I love it sooo much sometimes I just can't cut it off. J

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! STAY SAFE!


	24. No VWs Allowed

A/N: Hi Everybody…I'm Baaaack! Sorry that you all had to wait so long for a new Chapter. I've been kind of busy. *hugs* You all.

As Always…Enjoy!

**No VWs Allowed**

About 2 hours after the Fire Engine red 1990's Mustang had flown the Knight Rider Festivalgrounds, a tie-die colored Peace Machine sputtered up to the closed guard gate. The 1960's VW Van looked more like it belonged at a hippie Woodstock Revival than a festival celebrating a vehicle of the highest known technology.

The grey-haired security guard actually laughed mockingly as he stated, "And where do you think you are going?"

Mike hand cranked the old window down and stuck his head out enough to say, "Hey! I'm back!"

"Congratulations." The elderly gate guard retorted with a sly grin. He had no idea who this nut case was. But he wasn't going to waste much time on him anyway.

Mike returned the guard's sly grin with an easy laid back one. "Don't you recognize us?" He asked hopefully as he indicated between himself and Deanna.

"Should I?" The grey haired guard asked uncaringly.

"As a matter of fact, YES!" Deanna growled with agitation as she leaned forward to see who was the moron in the security uniform.

"Why I Never!" The guard gasped in shock. He then fumbled clumbsily with his massive walkie talkie for a second before he got a firm grip on it and yelled into the reciever, "I NEED A SUPERVISIOR! ASAP!"

Mike sighed with frustration and flopped back in his seat in defeat. Why were they always giving him a hard time?

Deanna wasn't done. Not by a long shot. She locked her brown eyes with the security's green and just glared for a few seconds as she fumed. Then suddenly she remembered KITT's parking pass.

It must have been a telepathic moment. For at the very second Deanna reached up onto KITT's dash for the yellow paper, Mike did the same. They both slammed face first into each other with an audible crack.

"Ow!" The both yelled in unison as they recoiled and grabbed their throbbing foreheads.

The greying security guard tried to stifle a belly laugh. He failed miserably when he snorted and then bent over laughing raucously.

Both Mike and Deanna gave him a sour look as they painfully clutched their painful foreheads.

"What's going on here?" A very familiar voice questioned forcefully.

Mike squinted his eyes against the sun as he searched out the source of the new yet familiar voice. He was only slightly surprised when he saw Lt. Cast standing defiantly next to his Peace Sign covered van.

"At last! We meet again." Mike joked in her direction.

Theresa took 3 steps closer and peeked skeptically inside the Hippie Mobile. Mr. Bruening was driving this rat trap?

The very second Deanna saw the tall brunette poke her head inside Mike's window, she grinned over-sweetly and waved. It may have looked goofy but Deanna didn't care.

Theresa gave the grinning actress a curt nod and then focused solely on Mr. Bruening. "I see that you have returned." She deduced slowly. "I also see that you have returned your passenger."

Mike nodded silently and waited for Lt. Cast to continue. He did ditch the event prematurely. He did take the major actress of the show with him. He didn't inform a soul of his intentions, even though everything happened on impulse. So he knew to expect a few repercussions. One being from Lt. Cast herself.

"You have been missing for over 2 hours and unreachable by the way." Theresa continued coolly. "Now I know that I have a right to ask as both the Head of Security and as your personal protector here at the Festival-"

"Not now Lieutenant." Mike cut her off suddenly. "Not in present company."

Theresa then shot a look over her shoulder at her subordinate officer who was now obviously listening to every word they spoke. She then nodded once in understanding at Justin. "What may I ask was the emergency here?" She asked almost conversationally.

"Ask your deputy." Deanna cut in not so sweetly. "He has treated us rudely and he had no apparent right to do so."

The graying security officer gave Deanna a flabbergasted look of shock before he defended with a stutter. "I...I was merely...My duty is to screen out all individuals that do not belong."

Lt. Cast gave the decrepit van an appraising look. With one eyebrow raised curiously, she asked, "What possessed you to acquire _THIS_ monstrosity?"

KITT didn't like her attitude toward him. So he decided that this was the best time to ham it up just a bit.

KITT choked on a chug, struggled to keep his failing engine going, and then shot a deafening backfire out of his rinky-dink tail pipe.

Lt. Cast dodged away from the time bomb a mere second before KITT's grand Finale. If this contraption was as dangerous as it sounded, she didn't want to be anywhere near it!

Mike could feel KITT gearing up for the crazy theatrical appearance. He had no idea what KITT had planned for the moment. However, he knew to do one thing without hesitation. BRACE FOR IMPACT!

Mike laughed uncontrollably when KITT backfired. He was doubled over onto KITT's massive circular steering wheel fighting for a breath between laughs.

Deanna had felt the chugging prelude to KITT's extreme backfire. But she was wholly unprepared for it. She yelped out in shock as she nearly banged her head on KITT's vinyl ceiling.

Even KITT found this hilarious. And if he had been human, he would have been laughing his head off with Michael. However, he did have a good chuckle inside his CPU.

"NO WAY ARE YOU BRINGING THAT THREATH ON FREMONT ST!" Lt Cast yelled from 10 feet away.

Mike's small semblance of composure cracked once again. He then burst out laughing again. This time it was so hard he had to hug KITT's steering wheel for support.

Deanna began to laugh only because of the sheer contagiousness of Mike's uncontrolled belly laughs.

Theresa didn't find any of this funny. The van/bus was a hazard. Her decision was final. "I do not see what you find so funny." She growled. "This vehicle needs to be driven away, right now. I never want to see it again. Burn it. Sell it. Run it off a cliff. Just do what you have to do to get it out of my sight. Understood?"

Mike held out his Michael Traceur Parking Pass and grinned as he stated authoritatively, "I paid my dues. I have just as much right to park here as they do."

Theresa tried to snatch the yellow permit out of Mike's hand but missed. He had yanked it back at the last second with a sly grin.

"I don't trust you with it." He laughed as he tossed it back on KITT's dash.

Theresa gave him an evil eye and then stated just as coolly as before, "It doesn't matter. This vehicle is a hazard and as the Chief of Security, I have the right to revoke any given permits."

"Ouch." Mike whined in false pain. "How could you harbor such hatred for my baby here? This is a 1960's icon."

"Your _icon_ nearly exploded!" Theresa complained loudly. "So therefore it is banned from Fremont St."

Mike was about to go another round with Theresa when he felt a small vibration through the steering wheel. At first, he reflexively let go and gave it a wary look. But some sort of instinct told Mike that whatever it was was not done by happenstance.

Lt Cast was continuing to lecture Mr. Bruening on the dangers of having that antiquity on her block when she noticed that his attention was focused elsewhere. "EHH-Emm!" She called loudly.

At only Michael's perfect line of sight, KITT texted in transparent blue font: LET IT GO MICHAEL...I WILL TRANSFORM INTO CRUISE MODE.

Mike mouthed carefully _not here_.

Theresa looked passed Mr. Bruening to Deanna. She needed to know if the young brunette had managed to say something that Theresa just didn't hear. She was perplexed to find that Miss Russo looked just as confused as her.

"Excuse me Mr. Bruening, but to whom are you talking to?" Theresa asked in a very annoyed tone.

Mike swiveled back around to face her but never had the chance to say a word.

"What's going on here?" Another very familiar voice questioned annoyingly. "If you hadn't noticed Ms. Cast, your antics over here are drawing a crowd."

KITT had seen the gawking crowd alert to him. It was primarily because of his backfiring stunt. However, he hadn't seen Jessica Lighthouse walk up which was a bit of a surprise because KITT rarely missed anything.

KITT watched cautiously as she jammed her head inside Michael's window. He knew that she wasn't a real threat. But for some reason he wasn't quite sure of, he didn't really trust her.

"Oh My Gawd!" She exclaimed happily as she tried to open the VW Bus' door. "Where on God's green Earth have you been Justin?"

Mike just gave her a polite grin and waited for Lt. Cast to allow him on the Festival grounds.

The curious crowd of onlookers milled closer to the 1960's Hippie Van. They weren't just drawn to the classic nature of the van. They were drawn by the fact that this very unusual van wasn't supposed to be there and that there was a commotion going on around it.

The already large crowd seemed to double and the triple in size in a matter of minutes. KITT was quickly becoming surrounded on all sides. He wasn't even on Fremont St yet. This made him even more nervous. What would it be like when he finally did gain entry.

I BELIEVE A HASTY RETREAT IS IN ORDER…KITT texted in transparent blue so as Michael would be the only one to read it.

Mike nodded in agreement. The growing crowd was enough to make him want to leave too. However, they were not his deciding factor. The girl excitedly trying to open KITT's back door to get in was enough to make him want to leave.

"KITT!" Mike announced for all to hear. "Activate the Surround Sound."

KITT grinned from inside his CPU. He didn't have a Surround Sound function. So this meant that he was given the freedom to design his oown. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.

KITT suddenly made panels next to all four of his wheels appear. They slid away to reveal 10' in diameter round black speakers. And then right in the center of his chrome finished grille, KITT slid open another panel. This one was double the size of the previous 4 and it was rectangular in size.

The very second that the panel door was clear, a 3 foot long 2 foot tall box speaker slid forward about 5 inches.

The whole audience backed off for a second before they all OO'd out loud and closed in on KITT. There was flash photography, grainy cell phone video, and even a massive over-the-shoulder television camera capturing the newcomer and his awesome Surround Sound function.

KITT sent a silent and invisible electromagnetic pulse through the TV camera. There was no way he was going to allow that footage to be seen citywide.

"KITT, Project." Mike began. As soon as the words Sound System Activated scrolled across the bottom of KITT's HUD, Mike took on his most authoritative voice and clearly said, "Stand back everyone. KITT is about to perform a disappearing act."

Everyone including Jessica Lighthouse took a couple steps back. However, he was still surrounded.

"Thank You!" Mike continued with a knowing grin. "Now everyone in the back, Make Way."

Everyone standing behind the 1960's VW Bus gave each other questioning looks. Make way?

Deanna knew that something was up. All of this had to lead to something. Knowing Michael and KITT it was something HUGE. She braced for impact. Then he looked up and announced for all of Fremont St to hear, "How about we play some back up music?"

KITT grinned from inside his CPU. If Michael wanted back up music, then so be it.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

The high pitched horn on the VW Bus barely made a noise over the commotion of the crowd. Instantly however, they understood what was happening and grabbed their friends and family and fled their positions behind the VW Bus.

Almost everyone looked on dejectedly. They had just figured out that their favorite actors were inside that Bus. Now, it was preparing to leave.

"Hey!" A guy yelled at the top of his lungs. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"Yeah!" Three other guys yelled in unison.

Mike could see that backing up and leaving wasn't looking like a good idea after all. Okay, time for another change of tactics.

Mike stepped out of KITT much to Lt. Theresa Cast's dismay. With an apologetic wave, he stilled the ansty and mobbing crowd.

Everyone was rapt. Justin Bruening was about to speak. And he was addressing _them_.

"I have been denied entry." He spoke in mock sadness. "It seems that my trusty steed is unacceptable for this lofty crowd."

The crowd Boo'd. Deanna laughed. Lt. Cast sneered. And Jessica snickered.

"I tried to explain to them that this is a classic." Mike continued with a Huge grin. "But she told me that it is dangerous and that I should burn it."

The crowd Boo'd again. Deanna tried to cover her ever-growing laugh. Lt. Cast was positively simmering in anger. And Jessica snorted her snicker.

"What can I do?" Mike exaggerated a shug.

The mob began to rally behind their Justin. "Let Him In! Let Him In! Let Him In!" They chanted as they clapped.

Mike grinned from ear to ear. He loved games like this. He slowly turned to Lt. Cast and gave her a cunning grin. Quickly he whipped his hand through the air to silence the crowd. They obeyed and Fremont St fell eerily silent.

"Well?" He asked calmly. "May KITT and I come in?"

Lt. Theresa Cast was shaking with rage. She had never been so disrespected in her life. This was beyond mere poking fun. This was embarrassing. She didn't say a word.

"PWEEESE?" Mike exaggeratedly begged.

The crowd laughed jovially.

Lt. Theresa shot her gray haired guard a look and a curt nod.

The crowd instantly clapped enthusiastically and yelled.

Mike grinned cunningly at Theresa and jumped back inside the VW Bus. Once inside, he leaned out of the window and whispered, "I'm an actor remember? And the whole world is a stage."

Theresa seethed as she watched the guard gate rise and the Peace Sign covered Bus sputter onto Fremont St.


End file.
